ProtoNaruto
by Soulblazer87
Summary: After a viscious beating Naruto is reborn, more powerful, less human but no less humane. God-like Naruto, NarutoxPrototype x-over, Naru/Hina.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: I don't own Naruto or Prototype. Now on with the story.**

_Chapter 1: Rebirth_

Naruto ran as fast as his little legs could carry him. He hoped he could escape the mob at least until someone helped him. But today the mob never grew smaller. Instead it grew bigger...

'Why? Why is it always me? Why do they hurt me? I didn't hurt anyone...'

Inside Naruto the great Kyubi chuckled darkly

**"Long have I suffered imprisonment by this foolish mortal. Soon... Soon I WILL BE FREE AGAIN! As for you human scum you won't die. Oh no. I have a MUCH harsher fate for you! Hehehehehe"**

Finally Naruto was cornered in dead end and the mob approached. Naruto considered himself lucky to pass out after being tortured only for one hour.

-Inside Naruto's Mind-

"Huh? Where am I? Am I dead?"

**"No foolish **_**ningen**_**. You are not. Soon though you will wish you were!"**

"What? Who are you?" Asked a trembling Naruto after seeing these huge, bloodthirst-filled eyes.

**"Me? Hahaha **_**ningen**_** you amuse me. You must be stupider than I thought. I am the mighty KYUBI NO KITSUNE!"**

"What? That's... that's impossible! Yondaime killed you!"

**"Hahahaha FOOL! As if a mere **_**ningen**_** like him could stop ME! He merely sealed me in you. Look at the seal fool! Thanks to these fools I am finally breaking free. Oh don't look so terrified. You won't die."**

"I... I won't?"

**"Of course not. That would be kind of me. No you won't die. Instead I will consume your soul and make you watch as I destroy everything you hold dear!"**

"NO! NO! I won't... I won't let it happen!"

**"As if you can avoid it FOOL! I am a DEMON LORD! THE demon lord! Defeating a child like you will be easy! Now FEEL MY FURY!"** Kyubi lashed out through the seal hitting Naruto and sending him crashing into a wall.

**"Hahahaha see foolish child? Neither in the material nor in the mental world can you deafeat me! Even in YOUR OWN MIND!"**

'It... it hurts so much... why do I suffer so much? why... why can't I...' Naruto then saw four figures appear before him...

Iruka stepped out and said "Try your best Naruto!" reminding him of the time he first taught him how to mould chakra.

Teuchi and Ayame stepped forth and said "Come on Naruto-kun! Don't be afraid! You'll do great!" encouraging him like that first day he told them he was going to the Ninja academy.

Last stepped out Sarutobi and smiling gently said "Don't give up Naruto-kun. I believe in you." smoking his pipe as he consoled Naruto after he failed an exam.

Naruto looked at his precious people and remembered all they had done for him. All the strength they had given him... And resolve finally started showing in his eyes.

**"HAHAHAHA Foolish human! What can you do? I will devour you and destroy EVERYTHING! I will especially torture that foolish old man and the daughter of the ramen shop you love so much! You will see their torture! I WILL ANNIHILATE EVERYTHING YOU HOLD DEAR!"**

"NO! I will NOT GIVE UP! Because this IS MY NINJA WAY! SO FUCK YOU STUPID FOX! YOU WANT A FIGHT? BY KAMI YOU'LL GET ONE!" yelled Naruto.

Suddenly the world around them changed. Gone was the sewer. Now they stood on top of a mountain surrounded by lightning. Kyubi watched surprised at this change. He didn't expect this. Naruto on the other hand remembered what a man named Inoichi once told him.

'So da! Kore wa ore no kokoro no naka da! Kono basho no Kami wa ore da!' (That's it! This place is inside my mind! I am the god of this place!)

"Ore wa zette akiramene. Ore wa zette makene. Ore wa omae o TAOSU!" Yelled Naruto (I will not give up. I will not lose. I will DEFEAT YOU!)

**"Hah foolish human what do you think you can do?"** said Kyubi, still not understanding what Naruto learned.

"Simple you stupid fox. In this place he is god. In this place everything is possible if he so desires" said a new voice as a man appeared. He had a jounin vest, golden hair and bright blue eyes. He looked like an older more mature version of Naruto with a flame-styled cloak on. "Hello Naruto. In case you didn't recognise me I am Minato Namikaze. The Yondaime Hokage. We'll talk more later. Now beat up that stupid fox!"

"Ok! Come on fox! Let's FIGHT!" shouted Naruto as he grew in size and created a sword made of light on his hand.

Demon and child clashed and tore at each other. Again and again Kyubi tore into Naruto but he could't kill the child. It slowly dawned to him that he had failed. He could have easily escaped but his pride demanded he punish the impudent child... And after initiating such a fight there was no way to back off. It was all or nothing. And in the end he got nothing. After the titanic battle ended Naruto started absorbing the Kyubi. Yondaime rushed to his side.

"Well done Naruto. Or should I say son? Sarutobi never told you but you are my son and you have made me proud. Not only by defeating the demon by also staying pure against these maddened villagers. I never wished it to come to this my son. I thought they'd see you as a hero. As for why the old man never told you it was to protect you from my enemies." *sigh* "My time is running out son... I am glad to have seen you..."

"Me too dad. Thanks for the vote of confidence..." Said Naruto and hugged his dad. Suddenly Naruto fell on his knees gasping.

"SON! What's wrong?"

"Too... much... The kyubi's power is too much... I... can't control it... AAAAAARGH!"

"No... no... son... hang on..."

"Its... ok dad... I... think... I need the fox... back... Don't worry... You'll see... After all... I am god here..."

Light shone and Kyubi was restored.

**"What? What happened?"**

"Simple Kyubi. I still need you. Your power is too much for me to contain. Not now not ever. Your knowledge and memories alone would have made me mad. So I brought you back. Now here's the deal fox. You will no longer be filled with bloodlust. You will retain your previous existence and shall from now on guard me and my children. You will teach and guide them through a life filled with kindness. You will give them your chakra and protect them. In return you will not die unless there is no other child of mine alive."

As Naruto spoke, his words were engraved into the Kyubi's soul. Kyubi lost his bloodlust. He now was connected with Naruto and saw and felt the world through him. Thus the Lord of Demons felt something new; compassion and kindness in its purest forms.

**"I don't have much of a choice now do I? Nevertheless I accept. I can't get out even if I wanted to."**

"Good to know Kyubi. Yoroshiku" (yoroshiku: pleased to work with you)

**"Heh kit can you do something about this place? I prefer it to the damned sewer but I'd rather have a forest. And some game to hunt. Maybe a vixen or three. In return I'll give you a gift."**

"Why not? Here you go." And the world changed again into a lush forest with a lake. Small game ran around and a female fox stepped forward.

**"Ah thanks kit. Here's the gift: a summoning scroll for my demon clan. Sign it but don't summon them without thought. While some of them are nice, many of them are like my old self and may not obey you."**

"Thanks me if you need something else. Since we're partners now I'll take care of you you know. So dad... Its been nice to meet you... even though I'm kinda angry at the whole deal... but I'll deal with it."

"Hehehe that's my son. For what its worth son... I'm sorry. But I had no other choice. Besides who else would I trust other than my own son?" Said the Yondaime as he ruffled Naruto's hair. Of course Kyubi couldn't help but butt in in a barely audible whisper: **"Ugh... so cute... I'm gonna puke"**

Of course the two blondes heard him and laughed it off. Naruto hugged his dad one last time before Yondaime dissappeared into nothingness.

**"Kit I think its time to wake up. I'll make a mental link so we can talk easier. Oh and uhh... you know you were kind of stupid before right? And had crappy control? Well... that was kind of my doing. Even the seal couldn't completely hold me back. So I messed up with you in order to make you weak. Then you'd have to call on my power and maybe set me free. But since our last fight proved... I can't get out ever. Might as well make it as comfortable as possible. Anyway I'll restore your mind to its previous state and repair your control. There's also something else. Due to the chakra that was unleashed, your physical body was changed. To what degree I don't know yet. We'll have to check it out after you wake up. Off you go now kit."**

"Thanks Kyu. See you later eh?"

And Naruto woke up to a plain white room, lieing on a bed. An IVdrop was hanging on his arm. In front of him sat a sleeping Iruka, watching over the child he so much cared for. Naruto slowly regained movement of his arms and looked around. He checked his body trying to find the alterations Kyubi mentioned. Mentally he called to the fox.

_' Hey furball there's nothing wrong with me. Or so it seems. Figured anything on your side?'_

_**'No kit. But something's certainly different. Better sleep while I take a closer look. I'll tell you in the morning if I find out.'**_

_'Ok. Back to sleep I guess.'_ And Naruto dozed off to sleep again.

**A/N: Ok everyone note this is a god-like Naruto story. Expect major Naru-pwnage later. Any ideas for the pairing? As always reviews are welcome, flames are not. Till next time.  
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**Today, on this 9/6/2012, I, Soulblazer87, do hereby leave this site, possibly forever.**

**I shall not update this, or any other story.**

**I shall leave them on, however. Should you desire to follow my stories, do so in my new site of residence: www dot yourfanfiction dot com.**


	2. Chapter 2

_Chapter 2: Awakening_

Naruto woke up early in the morning still on the hospital bed.

_"Wakey wakey Kyu. So did you find anything?"_

_**"A few things really... Well you know my chakra is poisonous to humans right? Well you might have developed a resistance to it with me sealed inside and all but its not immunity. Now the problem is that my chakra has destabilized your DNA. If my assumptions are correct, your unstable DNA can be controlled by your conscious mind. In other words you may be able to shift your form. What I did notice is a practically infinite capacity for evolution. This means that while you grow older and more experienced you will be able to change your form in many ways. It also seems to have improved your natural healing capacity. Another nice thing is that it is reactive to external stimulus. Before you go acting all weird let me explain. Whenever you make a exherting motion, your muscles get stronger right? That's how you train. Well in your case the improvement comes hundreds of times faster and from what I see the capacity is much and I seriously mean much greater than any human. The more you practice the faster you'll get stronger, not only that but while humans have a maximum of strength, your maximum is many times beigger than anyone I've met. Your bones are also much more dense and your skin harder to pierce. In short, whatever doesn't kill you, makes you stronger. Quite literally. The last thing I found is that it acts like a Kekkei Genkai. You will pass it down to your children along with me. Kit one thing however. Maybe we should seal me and this new kekkei genkai so that your kits won't be summoning my chakra recklessly. I was thinking until they are 12years old or I release the seal. On the same note, I will be able to maintain the seal so any... black sheep that come out won't be able to abuse your kekkei genkai.**_

_"So, you're saying I'll be able to get real strong, real fast and change my shape depending on what I want to do. How do I do that?"_

_**"Try focusing on it. I'd suggest transforming your hands to claws. I'll help you from my side as well as monitor whatever happens in your body. Also best not to call on my chakra for a while. While your resistance to it has increased, best not to risk it unless its real bad ok?"**_

_"Ok so I focus on my hands becoming claws. Let's see."_

Narutp focused on his hands changing into claws. He had already decided on the 'look'. His fingers would be come longer and instead of nails he would have 30cm long black claws. After focusing and with Kyubi giving him advice he managed to shift them slowly yet steadily.

_**"Ok kit you've done it. The change was real slow but mostly because you didn't know how to do it. Next time it will be much easier and faster. Now change them back and wait that teacher of yours. We'll have to give some explanations."**_

_"You're right. Jiji will have to know about this and our deal. I just hope he doesn't take it too hard."_

Naruto shifted his claws back to normal and gently woke up Iruka. After telling him he felt fine he asked for Sandaime. After a little bit the aged Hokage entered the room visibly worried. After giving his figurative grandson a hug he asked Iruka to get outside.

"Jiji could you please set up a sort of sound barrier? I don't want people listening. Oh and I think you should call that blond haired guy that helped me the last time. Inoichi I think he was called. The one that got in my mind."

"I can but why should I Naruto-kun?"

"Because jiji its about my... tenant."

"What? How do you know about him?"

"I met him. I'll tell you about it but could you please ask Inoichi-san to come over? You won't believe what I'm gonna say unless he's here."

"Hmmm... Very well Naruto-kun I will. You just stay here ok?"

With that the Sandaime left and called for Inoichi. The blond mind walker entered with the Hokage looking surprised.

"Well Naruto-kun will you tell me and Inoichi why you need us here?"

"As soon as you secure this room ji-san. I don't want anyone learning before its time."

After the aged Hokage applied the seals Naruto explained them about the fight between him and Kyubi. The greatest surprise though came when he told them about his parents. Especially the look on Inoichi's face was unbelievable. At the end of the story Naruto asked Inoichi to enter his mind to confirm this. When Inoichi returned from his trip inside Naruto's mind he looked tooss shaken to speak.

"A... a kind and friendly Kyubi. Kami I never thought I'd see that... Naruto, while I am happy you made it and proud that you remembered what I told you about your mind-scape...What the HELL where you thinking going into that fight! I know it wasn't completely your fault but was there any way you could have avoided it?"

"I'm afraid not Inoichi-san. I couldn't. Once such a fight begins, it cannot end unless one of the two is defeated and devoured. Now there's another thing I got to tell you. Besides Kyubi becoming my Kekkei Genkai of sorts, I also acquired another one. It is because of him but not linked to him otherwise. Because of Kyubi's chakra my body has become... unstable in a sense. My strength, speed, agility and reflexes will improve much faster. Also I will heal much faster than before. From what Kyubi told me, unless you rip out my heart, decapitate me or sustain constant heavy trauma I am pretty much unkillable. I can take a sword through the lungs and I won't even slow down apart from the pain that is. Another cool thing is that I can change my form. I managed to make claws out of my hands, probably because Kyubi had claws as well so its kind of easy. I don't know what else I can do though. Kyubi also told me it will pass down to any children I will have. He also advised sealing them away. Imagine a baby summoning Kyubi's chakra because it wasn't fed in time. He said setting the release at 12 years of age unless the Kyubi wills it earlier or if Kyubi deems a child unworthy of it."

"So now you have not one but two Kekkei Genkais and Kyubi is friendly. Now I got to tell the council-"

"NO! That's why I didn't want anyone else to know. I trust you two but the rest of the council? No way. They'll probably force me to marry many girls they choose and then take my children away so they can control me. So no. Don't tell anyone Ji-san. Just give me a new appartment since my old one got torched last night, give me some scrolls on chakra and keep it low. I don't want anyone learning of what happened. Tell them that because of the beating an idiot with a mask with a root kanji on it used a chakra infused blade on my seal almost setting the Kyubi free. Only thing that kept it in was my willpower. Tell them the seal is damaged and impossible to repair. It should scare them from attacking me again for fear of the seal breaking and its not that far from the truth. Besides it'll get you some leverage against that crippled guy, Danzou was his name? Yeah anyway if they hear it was ME that kept the Kyubi from leveling this place and it still is maybe some of them will shut up. Don't tell them of my parents yet either. They'll just try to suck me up and I don't have your patience old man. Oh and could you tell me where I can find an abandoned training ground? I want to get stronger. Much stronger. So noone will suffer like I did ever again."

Both men were stunned by the child's declaration but accepted the truth of his words. Excusing himself Inoichi left, thinking mostly on how to get his daughter to stop chasing after the Uchiha and see that there are people much, much better out there. Sandaime for his part went to apply the seals on Naruto, showing him and Kyubi on how to do it as well. After all was said and done Naruto left with Sarutobi, to get the scrolls, a key to his new appartment and directions to his new training grounds. Unsurprisingly, Naruto's new appartment was very close to Sandaime's house. Few would dare get there so it was much safer. Naruto got some scrolls on basic chakra control, at which he literally sucked since noone taught him even how to read and write. After that Sandaime left with Naruto to show him his new training grounds behind the the Hokage mountain. When Naruto got there, he formed his claws and showed them to an amazed Hokage.

"These are my claws. Cool huh? They're pretty sharp too. I gotta practice on them though. It takes me some time of concentration to make them but I'll try to reduce the time. Kyubi also said he'll help with my fighting skills. Anyway better start training. " And with that Naruto started a variety of excercises at Kyubi's command. After watching Naruto train for a while Sandaime left and returned to his office, relieved somewhat about the fact Naruto would now grow stronger. At his office he wrote a letter and summoned a carrier monkey and had it deliver it to his old student Jiraiya. After that was over he turned to his old enemy, paperwork and started his work.

Naruto for his part after he finished his warm up, started practicing how to form other things. After consulting with Kyubi, he found that he had a maximum of potential changes that he had exhausted. The more he practiced and older he got however, the more this potential would increase. In other words now he only had his claws and no other ability, he would have to work hard to acquire any new powers. Never one to shirk from practice or take all things for granted, Naruto got to work. After a while he considered altering his face and shape. Creating a disguise of sorts. Naruto 'spent' the rest of his evolution potential in order to be able to shift between his normal, blue eyed blond whiskered form and his disguise, a dark haired, brown eyed boy of his age. This way he could finally enter a store without people trying to kill him every chance they got.

After a few days of this routine, Kyubi came across a discovery. Naruto could absorb other beings DNA by eating said being. What this did is hasten the evolutionary potential of Naruto by a little bit, but only concerning abilities that are related with what he consumed. If he absorbed a bird's DNA, then he would increase his evolution abilities but only when it came to forming clawed feet, wings or improved eye-sight in some cases. Naruto swore to never absorb a human's DNAsince absorbing DNA required the victim be freshly killed and eaten raw. He could deal with eating an animal if it was absolutely necessary but a human? No way in hell. So Naruto spent his mornings going to the Academy and his afternoons training on his own. Even his pranks lessned though they never disappeared. Naruto for his part listened to Kyubi's suggestion of developing non-combat related abilities. First on his list was wings and maybe improving his eye-sight. Of course naruto spent a lot of time under his disguise, when outside the academy and the training grounds that is, since that way noone recognised or attacked him. It was especially fun starting a prank as Naruto and then escaping the area in his changed form. Even Kyubi congratulated him on the sheer genius of some of the pranks. One of the best was when Naruto briefed the Hokage on his shape changing abilities. By changing in front of him without warning. Poor old man almost had a heart attack. After being put at ease by the fact that Kyubi was constantly monitoring Naruto's body for adverse effects however he relaxed a bit. Naruto also changed his wardrobe. Now he wore either black and red, as they were Kyubi's main colors or black and dark orange. Retaining his previous exuberant behaviour, he started picking on people in front of their eyes. One of his favourites was Mizuki when he tried using Genjutsu on him one day: Mizuki applied a genjutsu seal on Naruto's paper when he handed them. After Naruto saw through it with Kyubi's help he laughed loudly drawing Iruka's and Mizuki's attention. After being asked what was wrong Naruto spoke:

"Impressive Mizuki-sensei! You've placed a Genjutsu seal on my test. Obviously you want to test my alertness in expecting the impossible correct? I mean who could ever expect a genjutsu on a test? Well done Mizuki-sensei. I almost fell for that! Great excercise too! I will request this become part of your teaching so we remain on our toes! Such a great idea!"

Of course Mizuki was seething inside while he tried his best not to attack the insolent boy and instead congratulated Naruto for seeing through his ruse. Iruka on the other hand was surprised and asked Naruto about, getting a reply of 'if you can trick your friends you can trick anyone and that's what he did'. Some asked Naruto how he improved so much, so fast to which he answered:

"Deception is a shinobi's best friend. I have deceived you as being an idiot when I'm anything back. Didn't any of you consider the possibility of me holding back? Much like Shino does. My real level is much higher than any of you, I simply chose to hide it for a while. Now however, due to certain... events I have stopped holding back. This is the real me. Take it or leave it. Ja ne!" before jumping on the rooftops leaving many wondering just who Naruto really was. Overall Naruto's life was great and was improving. And he loved it.

**A/N: Ok possible pairings include Anko, Ino, Sakura, Hinata, Yugito, Temari and Isaribi. If you want I can make it a harem but I will not make a lemon. Like ever. Anyway Naruto's pretty much like Alex but he doesn't gain knowledge by consuming others and he heals even faster. As stated he is practically impossible to kill, even though pain could cause him to faint. If you're wondering Naruto's smarter for two reasons: first Kyubi repaired the damage he had caused and two he did absorb a LOT of knowledge from Kyubi. Even though he did return most of it, some was engraved in him. Lastly do not consider it above Kyubi to educate Naruto while he is asleep. Kyubi this time wants Naruto to be strong. For some reason this chapter feels... rushed to me. I dunno... Anyway till next time.  
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**Today, on this 9/6/2012, I, Soulblazer87, do hereby leave this site, possibly forever.**

**I shall not update this, or any other story.**

**I shall leave them on, however. Should you desire to follow my stories, do so in my new site of residence: www dot yourfanfiction dot com.**


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3: Naruto's Improvement

Almost five years have passed since the fatefull day when Naruto acquired his new powers. He never stopped training either his bloodline or his ninja skills. Thanks to Kyubi he was able to not only keep up with everyone else but to also surpass them. You see, even though Kyubi did fix the intentional mess he made of Naruto's chakra coils, Naruto still had inordinate amounts of chakra in him, making his control his greatest weakness. Thanks to Kyubi however he managed to learn tree walking and water walking in order to help. His Genjutsu skills still sucked, though it was pretty damn hard to get him under an illusion, thanks to Kyubi's interference. His ninjutsu also were rather low compared to clan members, since Kyubi never used chakra for ninjutsu. He prefered direct chakra manipulation, which however was impossible with human chakra.

Naruto's bloodline had also improved, now having acquired three new powers. His favorite was his ability to create bat's wings from his back allowing him to glide for short distances, even though Kyubi said it was a matter of time before he evolved them again and gained true flight. Because of that Naruto rarely wore something heavier than a muscle t-shirt, much to the enjoyment and embarrassment of a certain Hyuga girl. Naruto has also long since acquired two 'doujutsu'. They were doujutsu simply because they altered his sight though. The first he used rarely, mostly because there was rarely need of it. It was the ability to shift his eyes to that of an eagle. Even though colors became duller this way, his eyesight increased dramatically, acquiring a sort of telescopic vision when he focused on something. One of his favorite past-times with this was reading Sandaime's Icha Icha books from the comfort of his house and then reciting them to the aged Hokage, preferably with the other perv named Kakashi. This has also led to more than a couple of beatings for the poor perv by Anko, since she believed he was teaching a kid such perverse literature. Naruto's other doujutsu was thermal sight, allowing him to see through walls, which was more than a bit helpful for someone as paranoid as Naruto.

During his time at the academy, he pretty much held back on everything except taijutsu. Why? Because the Uchiha was constantly challenging him, and getting promptly beaten to the ground. For once not even Kyubi could answer Naruto's question of if Sasuke was a gay masochist. Of course when Naruto expressed this out loud, it took all of Kyubi's healing capabilities for Naruto to not die at the hands of fangirls.

In his off-time Naruto liked flying above Konoha (he's gliding really but with the strength he has in jumps it takes so long to land again that it seems like flight) watching the busy streets. This habit of his started a couple of years ago.

_-Flashback two years and three months ago-_

_Naruto was thrilled. He had finally acquired his thermal vision. Currently he was out for a stroll along the roofs. Since the buildings were warm, even though it was currently night, he could easily look around him._

_Meanwhile Anko was stumbling home after getting drunk with her friend Kurenai. That is until some hands shot out of the shadows and grabbed her, pulling her in a small alleyway. The person that grabbed her, violently struck her hed on the wall, further dizzying the drunk jounin. Then he threw her on the wall before a male voice spoke:_

_"Well if it isn't the _loyal_ snake bitch. Heh and she calls herself a konoha shinobi. You're just a servant of that traitor Orochimaru. Today you'll die bitch and we'll be heroes. But not before we have some fun with you. It would be _such_ a waste to not enjoy this body of yours! HAHAHA!"_

_The man the proceeded to try and rip off her clothes . Keyword tried. Because no sooner had he taken a step forth when a small shadow landed in front of him. From the little moonlight that fell on the figure it had golden-blond hair and striking blue eyes. Eyes that held such fury and hate that the would-be rapists involuntarily took a step back. It was obvious that it was a kid, but these eyes... these eyes were as cold as mountain's peak in winter and as hard as diamonds._

_Naruto rarely felt angry. Even when he was beaten as a kid, he wasn't really angry. He was mostly sad or scared. But now... now he was angry. Emotions not felt for a long time surfaced. Fury, wrath the likes of which he never thought he had burst forth. Memories of the beatings and hate he had suffered flashed through his mind's eye. Even Kyubi inside of him called for the blood of these animals. Naruto almost without realizing it called forth his claws._

_"For what you were going to perform there is only one punishment. DEATH!"_

_And in a flash Naruto charged the men. Their leader didn't realize exactly why he felt so much pain in his lungs, until he noticed that the child's claws had ripped open his torso, pretty much ripping his lungs and intestines out with them. As he fell he could only mumble the only thought he had in his mind. "D-demon..." This word more than adequately described Naruto's visage to the others. Covered in blood but otherwise unchanged, his eyes seemed like two damning orbs ready to unleash heavenly judgment upon them. Survival instincts kicked in and they tried to charge the demon to kill it. Fools..._

_Before Anko's muddled sight, a massacre unfolded. Naruto, with all the grace of a fox, jumped, dodged, parried and weaved through the men's blows. Ducking under a kunai thrust he rolled under the man, rising in an uppercut slice, cutting the man to ribbons. Turning around he used his left hand to parry a pipe before stabbing its owner through the heart. No sooner than that, he jumped over the the two remaining thugs and in a show of acrobatic skill turned upside down in the air and rotated his body, lashing out with his claws at the mens' heads taking out the rapist trying to run away. Landing in the only exit to the dead end, he locked eyes with the remaining thug before charging him claws opened at the sight. With timed precision he side-stepped the terrified man's stabbing motion, pivoted on his left leg while simultaneously lowering his body, in essence making a small spin with him sitting on his left leg. During that spin he lashed out with his claws, taking out the man's right leg who fell down with a cry of pain._

_The fight, if one would call that lasted less than a minute. Anko blinked. ' WHAT THE FUCK?' Due to the sheer shock, her drunkedness had disappeared. Naruto turned to her, retracting his claws. The last man groaned. Naruto turned to him, picked up the pipe and smashed it on the man's jaw, last knee, arms and genitals. The first was to not report what happened. The next to were so he couldn't escape. The last was punishment for rape. Anko looked at the child in slight fear. That is until he saw his eyes. With the battle excitement gone his eyes softened. He looked at her in concern._

_"Are you injured miss?"_

_"Wha? no... not ... much... Who... who are you?"_

_"Konoha's resident demon brat miss. Let me tie this bastard up so he doesn't bleed to death and I'll take you to the hospital."_

_Naruto then took off the man's shirt and tied up the wound. Needless to say he wasn't very kind in his treatment. Turning to the downed Anko, who was slowly trying to get up he offered his hand._

_"Come on miss. Hospital awaits."_

_"Its not miss. Its Anko. Mitarashi Anko. Remember it brat."_

_"Ok Anko-san. Let's go."_

_Picking her bridal style he took off, leaving Anko staring at the raw strength he seemed to possess. After landing safely in front of the hospital, he took her inside, where she was admitted. It was then she found out his name was Uzumaki Naruto. It was later that night that Sandaime visited her and explained her some things though that she understood who he was. As for Naruto? After taking an ANBU to secure the wounded man and clear the sight of the massacre, he went home. Only then did he allow the full extent of what he did sink in. Naruto wept for hours for his lost innocence, but thankfully he had Kyubi to help him deal with it. Sarutobi though did visit him at some point to give him a 'human' perspective on the matter of killing._

_-Flashback end-_

Ever since that day, Naruto found a new friend in Anko who visited him sometimes and helped him train. Both outcasts by the people they tried to protect, found a friend in each other. Apart for Sandaime, she was the only person to know the extent of Naruto's powers. She also told him of Kurenai's dream of making a scouting team.

It was a few weeks before the final exams. Naruto had little problems apart from the stupid bunshin jutsu. Thanks to Kyubi, it was clear as to _why_ he had trouble, though he didn't know how to correct it, as he never used ninjutsu of any kind.

Naruto was now on his way to Sandaime's office. He wanted to know where he would be placed. As soon as he got there under his disguise, which he had named Uryu, he got past the secretary and entered the aged Hokage's office.

"Ohayo Hokage-sama. Can I speak to you in private?"

"Of course Uryu-kun. Anbu! Leave us alone." With that, he placed a sound barrier in the room before continuing "Well now Naruto-kun, what is it?"

"You see jiji, I was wondering what team I would be placed it. Thanks to Anko I found out some things."

"I was thinking of placing you in Kakashi's squad. He will have the Uchiha and the highest scoring Kunoichi."

"Yeah well I am not going in a squad with the emo prick. If you put me there I'll kill him. I don't care what the council says, I'm not going there."

"But Kakashi is Yondaime's student. Surely he will teach you a lot."

"Maybe. But probably not. The council has too much power jiji. Besides I know how lazy he is. No, I'd rather have another teacher. And I know just who."

"Is that so Naruto-kun? And why should I the Hokage listen to an Academy Student like you?" Sandaime of course had every intention of listening to Naruto, but he also like prodding him in conversations. Kami knew he was one of the very, _very_ few people in Konoha that could actually hold an intelligent conversation. Between Danzou's schemes and the council's retardeness, the aged man took every chance he got at some serious conversation.

"Because first of all I won't work with the Uchiha. I have no rivalry with him because I know I'm better. It will be a one-sided rivalry and simply hold us both back. Second, I know who the top scoring kunoichi is. She's Haruno Sakura, a dead weight, a fangirl. She will do nothing and expect me or Sasuke to save her and knowing Sasuke, it will be me risking life and limb for my teammates. Sorry but I can't do that. Not only that, but because she is a fangirl, she will always follow the Uchiha's commands. Not to mention she hates me for some reason. Every time I try talking to her, as a sign of kindness, she tries to hit me. So no that team is no good for me. However I know one team I would fit in. Kurenai's team."

"Oh? And why would you fit in Kurenai's team? And how do you know her team anyway?"

"Anko is Kurenai's best friend jiji. I know she wants a scout team and I know she wants Inuzuka Kiba, Hyuga Hinata and Aburame Shino in her team. I however can replace Kiba. I can't replace Hinata because of her Byakugan. I can't replace Shino's ability to track anyone he's ever met before. I can however replace Kiba. Thanks to Kyubi, I have developed my tracking skill in the same areas as Kiba at about his skill as well. However I also possess tracking skills that he doesn't. Thanks to my wings and eyes I can fly over an enemy before engaging and silently watch them. Also as you know, my fighting capabilities are far greater than Kiba. Last but not least you're aware of Hinata's confidence problem correct? Well she has a crush on me and I don't deny the fact that I do like her. Maybe not love or a crush, since I don't have anything to compare my feelings with, but I do care for her. That way I will probably be able to help her confidence."

"Well done Naruto-kun. Your diplomatic skills are improving constantly. As is your reasoning. There's one problem though. Kakashi has requested you."

"Yes well he outranks Kurenai as well but he doesn't outrank you. Explain everything to him. He probably believes I will strike up a rivalry with the Uchiha, which I am not going to. That or he might try to make it up to Yondaime or something, since I am his son and look so much like him. That is if he doesn't know I'm his son. At any rate, Kakashi's team with me in will not work out. Kiba might be a better choice there. He has the whole alpha-male mentality that will make him strike a rivalry with Sasuke. Not only that but he also probably has lightning affinity. I on the other hand have wind. Now could you call Kurenai and Anko so we can finalize this?"

"Of course. Ami-san, please call for Yuuhi Kurenai and Mitarashi Anko here immidiately." The Hokage asked his secretary through the comlink. (comlink: communications link, highly sophisticated device that allows for communications over some distance, the sophistication part lies on the fact it is practically impossible to tap into and listen to conversations).

After a few minutes Kurenai and Anko walked it, Anko still eating a dango stick. After greeting the Hokage, Anko ruffling Naruto's hair, they asked why they have been called in. The aged Professor re-set the sound barrier before he started speaking.

"You remember some five years ago when there was a blast of Kyubi's chakra? Remember what I said? Well its not entirely true. Naruto if you please?"

"Very well. As you know I am the Kyubi no Jinchuuriki. In my gut was stuck the demon that tried to level Konohagakure and was sealed there by the Yondaime Hokage, Namikaze Minato. Now here's what happened that day. Like all my birthdays, I was running from a mob. This time however they seemed pretty determined. They tortured me for about an hour before a ROOT operative, stabbed me on the seal with a chakra infused blade. Now the seal is very powerful, but also very delicate. In doing so the idiot unleashed Kyubi. Now in all honesty we all could be dead. Hell we should be. Kyubi could have gotten free. What happened though is that he didn't want to leave immediately. No, instead he wanted to torture me by devouring my soul. Thus he started a fight in my mindscape, if he won, I'd be absorbed in him for all eternity and watch as he performed unspeakable acts upon those I cared for. However for all his might Kyubi miscalculated one small thing. We were in my mindscape, my world, my rules. In my mind I'm god. Thanks to the beatings, Yamanaka Inoichi-san has mind walked me a lot of times. During those times he taught me a few things. Things I used to defeat the Kyubi."

"Now when the Kyubi got out another fascinating thing happened. You see Yondaime had sealed a sort of clone inside of me, to be activated if the seal ever broke in order to repair it. When the Kyubi came out he appeared. After the battle was over and I won, I started absorbing the Kyubi's power, taking it as my own. At that time Yondaime revealed to me one secret; he told me of my parentage. I won't reveal it yet, as I'm not supposed to know. Anyway after a point the Kyubi's power became too much. It is a king of all demons. The knowledge he possessed in over ten thousand years of existence would wipe my mind. His power, unable to be held back would level all of Hi no Kuni. Then his power would enter a random animal and Kyubi would be reborn. With the newfound power though I prevented it. I brought back the Kyubi and reformed him. I erased his hatred and bloodlust and tied him to my blood. Kyubi still exists, but as a sensei to me. A friend I have inside. Thanks to him most genjutsu don't work. I assure you he's quite friendly, more like a grumpier version of Iruka-sensei. Being tied to my blood made him sort of my Kekkei-Genkai. All my children will house the Kyubi and will be able to draw power from him. Of course I have placed a number of seals on his power so taking his power is impossible. Also as long as more than one of my clan is alive, no one will be able to take Kyubi away, and thats only one of the benefits of my clan."

"However I gained something else as well that day. Kyubi's youki is poison. I however since I had him in me, have developed some resistance to it. However it made my DNA unstable but under mental control. In other words, amongst other stuff I can change my body at will. For example my disguise Uryu" Naruto shifted to his disguise, enjoyed Kurenai's shoked look before shifting back." I can also form claws as Anko here knows and have developed two doujutsu. The first grants me the eagle's sight, while the second allows me to see warmth. Also thanks to Kyubi I am as capable as any Inuzuka of following a scent. Now the reason you were called here is simple. I want to get in your squad Kurenai-san. I am as capable a tracker as Kiba, have two unprecedented bloodlines, can adapt to just about any circumstance, have more chakra, combat capability and last but not least, since Hinata has a crush on me, I can help her get over her confidence issues."

"I... eh... ok...umm Anko is he telling the truth?" Stammered a shocked Kurenai.

"Yup. Brat's right. Heh don't looks o freaked Nai-chan. You haven't seen half of the stuff he can do. Kid's awesome I tell ya."

"Yeah but what about Kakashi?"

This time Sandaime interrupted "Kakashi might outrank you both and Naruto-kun, but I outrank him. If you agree I can get Naruto-kun in your squad, replacing Kiba."

"Very well then. Naruto-san what else can you do?"

"Apart from my disguise, I can form claws, wings that as of now only allow me to glide and I possess increased strength, speed and stamina."

"As of now? What do you mean?"

"You see my Bloodline is kind of unique. It is an evolutionary bloodline. I have a certain... potential. The more I train in it the greater said potential. I can then spend it to acquire said powers. The more drastic a change the higher it costs. For example my claws are much more expencive than my disguise. Kyubi believes that soon I'll have true flight. Now at best I can expend large amounts of wind chakra to keep me flying."

"I...see... But why my squad? Kakashi is older, more experienced and was taught by Yondaime himself."

"And he's also a pervert, a lazy ass and constantly late. No. Also he is forced to teach the Uchiha. One of the few people, along with that bastard Danzou that I just can't stand. No, I think you'll be better for me. Beside I also kind of like Hinata, but if I ever made an approach and was found out... well I have no fear for myself, as its very hard to kill me, but Hinata? I'd never let anyone hurt her the way they hurt me. This way though, I can be near her and still justify it."

"Very well. Now... if you'll excuse me, I need some sake after hearing all this."

"And you haven't even heard Naruto's last secret Nai-chan. But be careful ok? This is an S-ranked secret."

"Yes well, Hokage-sama, Naruto, I'll be off. Anko you coming?"

"Of course! I'm finally getting you drunk Nai-chan! Fufufufufu!" Anko giggled almost perversely as she pretty much dragged Kurenai to the nearest dango stand.

"Well Naruto-kun, that went rather well. Now shouldn't you be at home? Its pretty late you know."

"Ok jiji see you soon."

So Naruto left and headed home. Finally he was going to be a ninja. First step to gaining people's respect. Now if only his parents were still alive... Pushing these thoughts away, Naruto meditated an hour before going to sleep.

**A/N: Next chapter graduation. Hinata's in for one heck of a surprise. Now I apologize to some if my repeating of Naruto's bloodline acquisition sounded boring but I thought it was fitting. Besides he didn't reveal anything and I personally consider it a better way of writing than 'and he told her the story keeping out parts A B and C blah'. Its really boring and annoying when it is used repeatedly. While I may resort to such a thing it will generally be for longer paragraphs. Also how did you like my first combat sequence? Naruto pretty much pwned them because of two things: one Kyubi is using claws and he can easily teach Naruto how to use them and two they were just plain thugs probably drunk and definitely underestimating the gaki in front of them. Last thing, I was thinking of Naruto acquiring a third, and possibly last for the foreseeable future, doujutsu. Should I do that or give him a combat related power? I was thinking the whip but it could also be the shield.  
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**Today, on this 9/6/2012, I, Soulblazer87, do hereby leave this site, possibly forever.**

**I shall not update this, or any other story.**

**I shall leave them on, however. Should you desire to follow my stories, do so in my new site of residence: www dot yourfanfiction dot com.**


	4. Chapter 4

_Chapter 4: Gradual Graduation_

A few weeks passed since the talk with Kurenai and the time for the final exams had come. Naruto still hadn't found a way to get past his bunshin problem. Anko had tried teaching him Tsuchi Bunshin but he had no talent for it and couldn't learn it for the life of him. Still Naruto went, with the hope that if he performed well enough in the other parts of the test they'd let him pass.

After Naruto got inside, he waved hello to his friends (namely Kiba, Shikamaru and Chouji), glared at one Uchiha, ignored a pink haired banshee and smiled at a blushing Hyuga princess. Soon the noise died down as the teachers came in. Naruto always had weird vibes about Mizuki, something Kyubi reinforced, but since he never had any solid evidence he couldn't do anything. After the written test, which thanks to Kyubi he aced, was accuracy. Since he chose to stop holding back he once again scored high, drawing many suspicious looks from some of the people around him, which however were ignored. After that was Taijutsu practice. Naruto squared off against Mizuki and 'defeated' his opponent in under 10seconds, even though Mizuki held back way less than normal. At the ninjutsu portion he was performing well until:

"Now Naruto I need you to perform some bunshins for me please."

"Uhh... Iruka-sensei I can't perform bunshins and you know it."

"Well then Naruto I'm afraid you'll fail..."

"Wait a second Iruka-sensei. I practically aced everything else. Besides there's a reason I can't use bunshin no jutsu. I got too much chakra. I'd go get another jutsu to replace that, but the library always throws me out and I can't exactly go to Hokage-sama and ask him to tutor me. I tried to learn the Tsuchi Bunshin, but my element is opposed so... Anyway what use is a mere bunshin? Makes no sound, has no smell, its just a waste of chakra. Useless if you ask me."

"It still is a necessary skill Naruto so try it."

"Ok ok... damn it Iruka sensei... **Bunshin no Jutsu**"

Three clones popped, looking dead. Iruka sighed.

"Naruto... you fail again... I'm sorry..."

Mizuki trying to get on the kid's good graces also apologized. After all was done Naruto sat outside the academy. It was so stupid. He could use Katons and Fuutons but of course they needed a simple useless bunshin. The one skill he never could use. It was stupid and unfair. Swallowing his pride, he moved away before being stopped by Mizuki.

"Now Naruto don't be so sad. Its true you didn't pass the bunshin exam but since you aced everything else, I managed to pull some strings and we decided to have a make-up exam. There is a scroll in the Hokage library named the 'Forbidden Scroll'. If you get it and bring it to a certain point in the forest you'll pass as a simulation of a shinobi mission. You'll be showing that you don't actually need the jutsu and still be just as effective. So do you want to take it?"

Naruto saw the man for who he really was. A traitor. There was no such test or Sandaime would already have had him pass it. However just an Academy Student's word against a seasoned Chuunin? Who except jiji would believe him? So he had to catch him in the act. Quickly agreeing Naruto went to Sandaime to tell him what would go on.

The day passed and night fell. Naruto using his thermal sight evaded the guards inside the compound and snatched the scroll. He knew they wouldn't try too much, but it had to be realistic. Naruto ran to the woods when Kyubi's voice echoed in his head

_**'Hey kit. Since you have the scroll how about learning one of the jutsu inside? They are bound to be strong and you'll need a strong jutsu to fight that traitor off. Even as you are you won't beat him easily. He's not a Chuunin for nothing. That and his chakra... seems strange... corrupted in a way. He also always held back a lot. Better learn a jutsu and be safe rather than draw on my chakra. Since you've never needed it, we don't know what will happen if you do. It could kill everyone if it goes out of control.'**_

_'You're right Kyu. Besides it'll prove to everyone I'm really capable and not some dead last.'_

Naruto came to a clearing, sat down and started reading. He read the first jutsu on the scroll, Kage Bunshin. It was an impressive jutsu, no control was needed, just a lot of chakra and Naruto knew he had tons of it. Also the secondary abilities of the Kage Bunshin were most interesting. So with little time to waste, he got down to learning it. After an hour he had the jutsu down and simply waited for the traitor to show up. Suddenly a noise came from the side and a figure dropped from the trees. Only it wasn't Mizuki. It was Iruka.

"NARUTO! WHAT DID YOU DO?"

"I know what I did Iruka-sensei. I stole the scroll here. Mizuki said I had to in order to pass the exam as a simulation of a shinobi mission. If I could do something that hard, it wouldn't matter what jutsus I knew, they should be enough for a gennin. Well that was his justification. I think he's a traitor. Anyway I waited here for him but in the meantime I learned a jutsu. Real cool one too. Ah, here comes Mizuki-sensei. Play dumb Iruka-sensei."

"What? What do you mean Naruto?"

Mizuki confidently dropped from the trees.

"You still don't get what that brat said? Hah you always were stupid Iruka! I tricked that baka into getting me the scroll. Now all I have to do, is kill you two and get away."

"WHAT? Mizuki! He's a kid!"

"He's no kid! You know what he is! He's-"

"No Mizuki!"

"He's the demon lord Kyubi! See Naruto Kyubi never died! He was sealed into the shape of a child! YOU! Now you know why everyone hates you! And now you'll DIE!"

Naruto merely lifted an eyebrow and calmly spoke: "Oh. Really now. I'm the Kyubi? Baka I knew about him for five years now. And I'll have you know he'd just like a grumpier version of Iruka."

Iruka was stunned, as was Mizuki. Mizuki however recovered faster and drawing his trusty Fuuma Shuriken he threw it at Naruto. Naruto put up his guard and readied a Kawarimi when suddenly Iruka jumped in front of him taking the blow. Mizuki started laughing while Naruto looked in shock.

"Why Iruka-sensei?"

"Because you're my student. Sure the deaths Kyubi caused were that of a monster, but you're no monster. You're my precious student. A proud Konoha shinobi."

Mizuki's laughter grew while Naruto felt his blood boil. Gently putting Iruka down Naruto walked towards Mizuki while Iruka shouted him to stop. Naruto merely looked over his shoulder.

"Don't worry about me Iruka-sensei. A whole village has tried to kill me countless times and I'm still here. I ain't gonna let a piece of shit like Mizuki get away with hurting those precious to me. OI MIZUKI! Get off your ass you bastard."

"HAHAHA What are you going to do gaki? tickle me?"

"No you jock. I'm gonna break every bone in your body for what you did to Iruka-sensei."

"HAH! As if! I'm a chuunin but my real skill is almost jounin! You won't be able to touch me!"

"Really? Well how about NOW? **KAGE BUNSHIN NO JUTSU!**"

Instantly clones of Naruto popped around. Mizuke and Iruka stared in shock. Naruto let a smirk appear: "Get'im boys."

Battle cries echoed as Mizuki was soundly beaten to a pulp. His skill was great. But the shock and sheer numbers overcame him. Meanwhile Naruto was tending to Iruka's wound. Suddenly a sound rippled through the clearing and then the soft thud of something stabbing flesh. Iruka stared in shock as a huge shuriken hit Naruto on the back. Naruto on the other hand looked... annoyed.

"Brat... You might have hurt me a lot. But I still have Orochimaru-sama's power! I'll KILL YOU!"

Out of the shadows leaped a transformed Mizuki. The only thing he had in common with before were his hair. Other than that he looked like a cross between a tiger an a human without the claws. Naruto turned and faced him. Inside he was somewhat scared, but he couldn't let it show.

"I see. So that was the taint in your chakra. Kyubi knew you know. He warned me. But... you're not the only one with kick-ass skills Mizuki. Let me show you exactly why noone beats me these days."

Naruto threw a smoke bomb on the ground. Immidiately after he activated his thermal sight, enabling him to see Mizuki and formed his claws. Adrenaline rushing through his veins he charged.

The smoke covered area became a battle ground. Naruto could easily see Mizuki but Mizuki was faster, more experienced and used his scent to detect Naruto. Naruto ducked under a swipe and countered at Mizuki's other arm. Using the pain he leaped forth, using his enemy as a springboard and leaped into the air. Quickly twisting his body and extending his arms he became a twister of claws cutting Mizuki a couple of times before he ducked it. None of the blows were dangerous, except for one that struck over the eyebrow. Mizuki grabbed Naruto by the chest and threw him on a tree. Naruto twisted his body and used the tree as a springboard before launching himself forward one claw extended, the other cocked back in case he missed. This time he struck true and was rewarded with a cry of pain. Dropping on a handstand, he spun around quickly knocking Mizuki back with his amazing, for his age, strength. Mizuki charged again, angrier every second since, even with his added speed couldn't kill the demon brat. Naruto jumping from his handstand, landed on his feet, sidestepped a wild swipe, ducked a second, parried a third and with his parrying left hand he grabbed Mizuki's hand before bringing his right claw in a swipe and cutting the hand off. Mizuki screamed in pain and stumbled back. Seeing his chance Naruto readied himself and charged. Mizuki swiped in front of him but Naruto rolled underneath, twisted around and with his claws cut the muscles and tendons behind Mizuki's legs. Continuing his spin Naruto used his left claw to strike at Mizuki's spine, while his right hand followed with a powerful punch in Mizuki's temple. Finally the beastified traitor fell unconscious, the pain, shock, blood loss and drug catching up. Naruto disengaged his claws and saw the cloud had almost vanished.

Iruka stared in shock. His old friend was a traitor to Orochimaru and tried to kill him. Then the dead last used an advanced Bunshin jutsu and beat him. When the traitor came back stronger and deformed, the same dead last fought Mizuki, a chuunin bordering to jounin in skill, inside a smoked area. Once again the worst student in the academy was victorious. He couldn't help but wonder... WHO WAS THIS KID? Nevertheless Iruka was proud of his student. He fought for all the right reasons. Naruto slowly approached his sensei.

"Iruka-sensei, I'm sorry but I had no choice but to fight him and possibly kill him. There is a reason I used the smoke bomb but Sandaime knows about it so don't worry. Anyway if you're alright I'd like to treat the traitor's wounds if he's still alive. After all the interrogation team will have a lot of questions to ask him."

Iruka nodded while Naruto used as much first aid he knew to help Mizuki survive. Anko would certainly have some fun with that traitor. Slowly Iruka came upon the barely breathing body of his former friend. He gasped when he saw the vicious wounds Naruto had inflicted. Mizuki would never be anything more than a cripple now. Even if somehow he got free, he'd still be worth nothing. Suddenly ANBU started emerging. Immideately they got the traitor away as the aged Hokage appeared. Naruto picked up the scroll, kneeled to the Hokage and handed it over.

"So Naruto-kun, how was your mission?"

"It went well Hokage-sama. I defeated the traitor and disabled him. The scroll is safe and now I have the one shinobi skill I never could grasp. Now if you would excuse me..."

"Of course Naruto-kun. Here's your hitai-ate. I'll return the scroll personally. Go get some rest. You've earned it."

Naruto nodded and left to go home for a shower and sleep. Iruka on the other hand looked and Sandaime.

"Hokage-sama, if you excuse me, what did you mean about a mission?"

"Naruto-kun realized Mizuki's intentions and came right into my office. I gave him a B-rank mission to trick and arrest Mizuki red-handed. Before you ask, yes I know of Naruto-kun's real level as well as the weapons he used to defeat the traitor and I assure you he's perfectly fine. If it would ease your mind, call it a kekkei-genkai in your heart. Regardless of what happened Naruto-kun is still Naruto-kun, the same boy you met in the academy. He simply held back so as to not draw attention. Also what occurred here is an S-rank secret and will not be repeated. If anyone asks, Mizuki never changed his form and Naruto's clones defeated him. Now I believe you have to go to the hospital and then get some rest right?"

"Hai Hokage-sama."

The next day Naruto showed up in the academy, his black hitai-ate worn proudly on his head. Ignoring the looks of surprise, he waved to ihs friends and sat down next to Hinata, who promptly went red and nearly fainted. Naruto finished her by smiling kindly at her. After she fainted Naruto chuckled, with Kyubi making gagging noises at the cuteness of the whole deal. After waiting for the teacher to enter, Naruto gently woke up Hinata who almost fainted once again by the contact. After Iruka came in, he congratulated everyone that had passed with his annual and well-practiced speech. A speech that was interrupted by a screeching banshee asking why Naruto was here since he had failed. Naruto just smiled at her before shocking his class:

"Because Haruno, my failure in the last test, was simply an act. Something I used to capture a chuunin-ranked traitor in a B-ranked mission. In other words I was promoted by Hokage-sama and ordered to fail. So be silent."

"Is that true Iruka-sensei? And why would Naruto-baka take on the mission? Its obvious Sasuke-kun would do a much better job than-"

"Because you banshee the mission required for someone to fail. Or are you stupid and blind as well as ignorant? If your oh-so-precious Sas_uke_-kun failed, the mission would have failed since it would make no sense. I on the other hand was perfect: I hid all of my potential and let short-sighted fools like you see only what I wanted you to see. And if you're wondering I solo took down a jounin ranked shinobi. Iruka-sensei can confirm it since he was there."

"HAH! I knew it! You had Iruka-sensei fight for you while you hid like the dead-last you are!"

"HARUNO SAKURA! BE SILENT OR I WILL FAIL YOU! Now as Naruto said I was there. However I was careless and was injured at the spine before the start of the battle. Naruto not only defended me, but he also protected the village treasure 'Forbidden Scroll', learned a B-ranked jutsu AND defeated an enemy that would have made short work of me. So sit down NOW. Oh Naruto, I forgot to thank you last night with what went on. Want to go for Ramen later? My treat."

"Sure Iruka-sensei. After I meet my team though."

Sakura once again jumped in: "So what? Sasuke-kun would have done so much better!"

Iruka still feeling pain from yesterday had the last of her ranting: "HARUNO! SIT DOWN NOW! Naruto's a hero. He was personally chosen by the Hokage and has skills you wouldn't imagine if you saw them. Naruto here could defeat your Sasuke-kun, any day with little difficulty, even if he had the Sharingan. So shut up and sit down."

"B-b-but..."

This time Kiba interfered: "Naruto's got blood scent on him. It is like Mizuki's but also like a cat..."

Naruto corrected him: "Tiger to be exact. But yeah the traitor was Mizuki." *sigh* "Blood scent is so darn hard to remove once it dries on your skin... Anyway Iruka-sensei how about we ignore the banshee and friends and go to team placements?"

"Yes well Team one is..."

After five minutes or so: "Team 7 will be Uchiha Sasuke, Haruno Sakura" *girlish squeal* " and Inuzuka Kiba" *sound of head hitting a desk* "under Hatake Kakashi. Team 8 will be Uzumaki Naruto, Hyuga Hinata" *soft thud as Hinata fainted from excitement* " and Aburame Shino under Yuuhi Kurenai. Team 9 is still in circulation. Team 10 is Yamanaka Ino, Nara Shikamaru and Akimichi Chouji under Sarutobi Asuma." After finishing the placements Iruka left the class. Naruto on the other hand offered his condolences to Kiba and went off to meet his team. Sasuke brooded while Sakura repeatedly screeched her victory over Ino. Kyubi inside Naruto's mind wanted to get out and kill Sakura. He might not be evil anymore, but he had sensitive ears and her screeching was too much. Naruto mercifully sent chakra to his ears, not to improve his hearing but to dampen it, getting repeated thanks from the demon lord.

Some time later Kurenai walked in, drawing the attention of every male except our resident brooder, and after introducing herself she took her team to a dango stand to get to know each other.

"So now that we're all here how about we introduce ourselves to each other. I'll start. My name is Yuuhi Kurenai, a new jounin. I like genjutsu, drinking tea and spending time with my friends. I dislike arrogant people, sexists and perverts. In the near future I want to make you a powerful infiltration-scouting squad and later on maybe have a family. How about you blondie?" started Kurenai after they had ordered their food and drinks.

"Alright, I'm Uzumaki Naruto. I like pranks, jokes, spending time with my friends, ramen and training. I dislike arrogant fools, people who judge before getting to know someone and people who just won't change their opinions no matter how retarded they are. My dreams for the future? Earning Konoha's respect and becoming a powerful shinobi so I can protect what is precious to me. Maybe revive my clan later on but that's in the far future."

"I am Aburame Shino. My likes are insects and looking for new kinds of insects. I dislike fire and intense sunlight. In the future I want to find new kinds of insects to add to my clan as well as become clan leader."

"I am Hyuga Hinata... I like flower pressing and Naruto-kun. I dislike people who judge others and I want to become clan leader and abolish my clan's seal."

Naruto looked at Hinata impressed as she had managed for the first time in as long as he knew her to not stutter. After enjoying their meals Kurenai decided to brief them on tomorrow.

"Ok team, tomorrow comes the real genin test. Before you ask, that test was to determine who was actually capable of becoming a genin. Everyone else didn't have a chance to pass so why waste resources. Rest well and meet me in Training ground 8 at 8 o'clock sharp. I must warn you that you only have 33% chances of passing."

Naruto gave her a grin and said: "I don't think it'll be harder than taking down a jounin Kurenai-sensei. Consider the challenge over. No matter what you throw at us, we'll overcome it. I suggest getting some rest yourself because we're not going to make it easy on you. Before you leave however can I have a word with you?"

"Sure Naruto come with me."

Going to the side Naruto addressed his future sensei: "Kurenai-sensei, I have also seen it proper to warn you that I have acquired yet another scouting skill yesterday. I learned the Kage Bunshin in the hour it took Iruka to find me. See why I insisted in coming to your squad instead of Kakashi's? My kage bunshin will have every ability I do as well as think independently and transfer me any knowledge of their actions. Last thing I wanted to talk to you about; Kyubi is the maker of the Genjutsu art, so I asked him for a couple of Genjutsu. He gave me the details, as much as he could, but since he never used handseals that's something you'll have to work on. Regardless if I pass or not, I'll ask Kyubi to help you on your genjutsu. Also tomorrow I probably won't fight you all out. Yesterday I could fight all out because Iruka couldn't see thanks to a smoke bomb, but I don't want my teammates knowing about my skills if they are not going to be on my team. I trust them both but years of getting the snot beaten out of me as well as a few nasty backstabs have made me paranoid. Just so you're prepared though, it doesn't mean I'm useless. Kyubi and Anko have both trained me to the ground. Don't be too surprised ok?"

"Hai Hai Naruto-kun. Don't worry about me. Now go back to your team and save your energy."

"I see. Well see you tomorrow sensei."

Kurenai then left the team alone as Naruto went back to them.

"Ok guy and girl, I think I found some things about tomorrow. By her stance and words, tomorrow we'll be fighting against her in some form or other. She's famous for her genjutsu so we're in luck. Hinata you got your Byakugan, Shino you have your bugs, they're immune to genjutsu right? I remember you saying it at a point, and lastly I can constantly expel chakra from my body to form a sort of armor against genjutsu. That and I have some abilities I haven't shown in class. Kurenai-sensei knows about them, but I hope she'll forget them in the heat of battle."

"That is true Naruto-san. We are all protected to a degree or another from illusions but she still is a jounin."

"I know that. I doubt she's heavy on taijutsu though, she doesn't seem the type and she doesn't carry a sword or other weapon. So that leaves fuuinjutsu and ninjutsu. Personally I'd rather have her as a ninjutsu opponent, seals can be very unpredictable if the enemy has time and she's had weeks to prepare for us. Of course her being a jounin means she's bad news anyway, so we need to decide on team tactics..."

Then new team stayed there discussing possible strategies for hours, Naruto making sure Hinata gets her turn in the discussion, often asking for her opinion. Hinata for her part felt nice since her long-time crush noticed her, while Shino was pleasantly surprised to have a capable team with him. After they separated, Naruto went off to train for a few hours, then home quickly for a shower before going to Ichiraku's to wipe out Iruka's wallet with his ramen consumption. All in all, it was a good day and it was getting better.

**A/N: Second combat sequence and Naruto's graduation. Next time Kurenai's plot to test her team and the council's suspicions. Personally I think its high time since someone shoved a boot where the sun doesn't shine but we'll see how it goes. So reviews please about what you want to fix. Also if it hasn't become obvious, its going to be Naru/Hina. I'll try not overload it with sweetness. Heck Kyubi's right: so cute I'm gonna puke. That's one of my quotes mind you. Anyway till next time!  
**

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**Today, on this 9/6/2012, I, Soulblazer87, do hereby leave this site, possibly forever.**

**I shall not update this, or any other story.**

**I shall leave them on, however. Should you desire to follow my stories, do so in my new site of residence: www dot yourfanfiction dot com.**


	5. Chapter 5

_Chapter 5: Tests of Wisdom, Patience and Skill, Part One_

Naruto woke up early. After his morning workout and a short breakfast, he left for the training grounds for his test.

_**'Kit I want you to know that unles your life is on the line I won't be helping you. You have to grow strong on your own. Also even if your life is on the line, I won't provide all solutions. Life or death situations provide the best incentive to growth. So stay sharp kit. I won't be talking to you unless it is absolutely necessary. Now get ready for your test.'**_

_'Ok Kyubi. I appreciate your heads-up. Besides I want to win beat this test on my own, not due to a power simply given to me. That would make me as bad as the Uchiha right? I can't depend on someone else to get stronger, even though it may be a demon king. Now let's go finish this.'_

Naruto arrived a bit early for his test, so he sat under a tree and took a small nap. Next to the training grounds was Hinata. When she looked at the sleeping form of her crush she blushed and went to wake him up. As she woke him up and looked into his eyes she couldn't help but blush harder. Naruto on the other hand simply blinked at her and smiled.

"Ohayo Hinata-chan. How are you?"

"F-fine Naruto-kun. A-and y-you?"

"Great. So are you ready to win this little challenge of Kurenai-sensei?"

"I-I think s-so... I t-think it is g-going to be h-hard though... K-Kurenai-sensei is a j-jounin... a-and w-we..."

"Heh no worries Hinata-chan. Win or loose we'll learn something anyway. Besides I am confident in our team. I know you're quite capable when you put your mind to it, Shino has been hiding his potential and me... well let's say I've got it covered on my end. Besides I doubt its going to be a fighting-only challenge. That's just not what our team is for. We're a scouting team with infiltration elements in the mix."

"W-w-what do you m-mean Naruto-kun?"

"Well simple; you have your Byakugan, Shino has his bugs and I got my clones and senses that rival Kiba's. We're a scouting team not a strike team. We'll see though."

"A-ano what do you mean Naruto-kun. Y-you c-couldn't use bunshins right?"

"Yes I couldn't. The night I... graduated though, I learned an B-rank Kinjutsu called Kage Bunshin. Material clones made of raw chakra, much more costly than normal and they are capable of independent thought. What's cool though is that whatever a clone learns, I learn as well. Helps a lot with training. Besides I couldn't make normal clones because I had too much chakra, but Kage Bunshin requires no such thing as maximum chakra. The more the better really so its perfect for me. Anyway Shino seems to be close. Let's greet him and get ready."

Indeed Shino was close and after a greeting, they got ready for their sensei. After a bit of waiting Kurenai walked to the training grounds.

"Ok team 8, Its time to start your test. Simply put you'll have to find me, retrieve this scroll and either neutralize me or keep it safe. Now get ready." With these words Kurenai simply dissolved into flower petals. In the meantime the real Kurenai watched them and started working her genjutsu. They were all naturally resistant to it in one way or another, but all defences had their cracks and she had found theirs. Softly mouthing her techniques she sent wave upon wave of subtle chakra, inducing them into a multi-layered genjutsu. Time to see if this team was good enough.

No team member felt the chakra waves as they were too subtle for any of them to notice. The team blinked a few times before looking at each other and nodding.

"Ok, she's probably far away now, that was probably a genjutsu anyway. Hinata,would you be as kind to search for her?"

"H-hai Naruto-kun."

With a handseal and a command 'Byakugan', Hinata activated her doujutsu and started looking for Kurenai.

"I-I'm sorry,b-but I can't find her... Gomenasai..."

"Maa don't worry Hinata-chan, she's a jounin so finding her shouldn't be easy."

Even as Naruto spoke Hinata could hear a barely audible whisper coming from Shino's direction. "Worthless" This simple word that hurt her so much scared Hinata. What if everyone thought of herso little. She was worthless after all. She was weak and never could maintain the untouchable visage her Otou-sama could project. She was weak, maybe she should just quit and...

Interrupting her thoughts Naruto spoke "Well if you can't use your eyes, use your nose eh? Alright let's see..."

Chakra rushed through Naruto's nose enhancing his abilities. Awareness rushed through his mind, he could smell people that were there days ago, what Shino had for breakfast, even a couple of his bugs on him and Hinata. Naruto closed his eyes and focused. After that he smiled.

"Heh she's a jounin alright. She's hiding her scent real well. Sorry I can't help much here. Too many scents confuse me. Shino is there anything you can do?"

Shino merely nodded once before he let his Kikai bugs out to scout. It was then he heard a voice whisper "Freak" coming from Naruto's direction. Shino tensed. While most thought the Aburame were emotionless, they were merely very good at hiding their emotions. The very reason they were wearing these coats and glasses were in order to mesh as much as possible with people that couldn't understand them. Shino despaired after hearing that word, the word everyone had for him while he was a kid. Freak, abomination, monster, hate-filled words by those that couldn't understand him.

Shino luckily found something of Kurenai, a strand of her hair to be exact. Reluctantly handing it over to Naruto, and ignoring his questioning look, he nodded at him.

Kurenai was watching carefully at her could-be team. So far so good she thought, but they need to trust each other more. This test will show if they have it in them.

Naruto sniffed the hair and got a lock on Kurenai's scent. With a wave, he started following her trail, team following him. As he jumped from tree to tree he thought he heard a female voice whisper "monster". Naruto almost fell from the tree thinking that Hinata, kind and gentle Hinata of all people would think of him like that. Then again everyone else did. Everyone hated him, no one acknowledged him, no one comforted him, no one cared for him. Steeling his heart, trying his darndest to to ignore the pain he was in, he moved forward.

Meanwhile Kyubi was laughing in his cage, what a great way to use one's skills. Maybe taking on an apprentice of sorts wasn't so unreal a choice.

After closing in on Kurenai's position, Naruto turned to Hinata and nodded. Hinata got ready to activate her doujutsu but was stunned when she saw the pain in Naruto's eyes. Before she could speak though the world around her blurred. Same thing with Naruto and Shino. Caught in Kurenai's Genjutsu they saw their worst fears.

Naruto was trapped in a dead-end. Just like when he was a kid. He saw everyone's glares. Looks of hate and malice. They hated him. They despised him. He felt the despair, he felt the black abyss of loneliness rise up to swallow him whole as his loved people, Anko, Hinata even Teuchi and Ayame looked at him with hate.

"Demon, Demon" they called and they raised their hands to hit him. Smite him down like the demon he was. Perhaps he deserved this. Perhaps he was a demon...

Something stirred in Naruto. Determination, stubbornly rising up, enveloping, comforting, strengthening him. He felt fury rise up inside. This was not real, this was a lie. How... HOW DARE SHE! How DARE she use this to curb his resistance. Anger mixed with determination. He drew upon his chakra.

Kurenai looked at her team. Hinata had broken down crying, Shino looked terrified and Naruto... Naruto looked so hurt that she almost broke her illusion. But then his features changed. She saw such anger boiling behind his eyes that sent shivers of fear coursing through her. Suddenly trapping them in _that_ specific genjutsu was not such a good idea. Then she saw the chakra swirl around Naruto. Kami how much chakra did he have? It was visible and rising quickly. He had already been moulding as much as she had at 100% and it _kept rising!_ What the heck was he?

Naruto gathered his chakra and channeled it to his arms. Raising his hands in front he cocked them back. His chakra moved to the palms of his hands. The glow was so condenced Kurenai couldn't see his hands anymore, a Hyuga would have been blinded.

**"CHAKRA NAMI!"** Naruto thrust his hands forward unleashing a wave of raw chakra. Kurenai felt the world around her shudder for an instant. Her illusions, so carefully crafted, so delicate yet so powerful... shattered. No one had ever overpowered them so... completely before. Even Kakashi couldn't just shatter them like a mighty avalanche completely destroying a mere person standing in front of it. She felt... awed.

"Kami..." she whispered.

The chakra wave went on for a hundred feet before finally loosing power and slowly . Kurenai was too shocked to do anything but blink.

Hinata and Shino suddenly released from the Genjutsu saw Naruto, arms still extended forward, and Kurenai blinking at him. What surprised them though was the still swirling chakra of Naruto. Naruto spoke words of raw anger.

"How... How dare you... How dare you show that to me you bitch... How dare you insult everything I care for... I will kill you... I'LL KILL YOU!"

Kurenai barely had any time to dodge as Naruto charged her with speeds most jounin would be hard pressed to match. Carefully she tried to speak to Naruto, to apologize for whatever she had forced him to see.

"Naruto calm down. It was a test, a mere illusion to see-"

"You think I CARE? You are not scum, it would be insulting to scum. How dare you show THAT of all things?"

Hinata was officially scared. What could Naruto have seen that caused such a reaction? He always seemed so nice, so caring so what could have forced such a reaction...

Shino was taken aback. T his knowledge, Naruto was a carefree person, took everything lightly and laughed at the smallest thing. Yet this Naruto was nothing he would have expected out of the laughinb blonde. Quickly he turned to Hinata and spoke carefully.

"Hinata-san we must stop him. Try restraining him while I'll try to get Kurenai-sensei's scroll. We'll have to ask him about this behaviour of his."

"I-I don't k-know if I c-can Shino-san, b-but I w-will try..."

Hinata ran to Naruto and took advantage of Naruto's enraged state to hit a couple of the pressure points on his hands to paralyze them. Naruto almost hit her with his other hand before he froze looking at her.

"Hinata?"

"N-Naruto-kun... I d-don't know what s-she showed you b-but it c-can't be t-that bad?"

"It is. She showed me... my childhood."

Kurenai hearing this froze. Kami no wonder he reacted like that. Shino on the other hand chose to wait for later before he would question Naruto on his words. Now he had a scroll to get. Quickly swiping it he returned to his team. Kurenai decided she'd seen enough. They had the teamwork, they had the skills. Quickly she announced.

"Alright team, you performed perfectly. You are now officially Genin of Konoha. You pass. This test was made to test your cooperation and teamwork. In other words getting the scroll or not was irrelevant."

"Yeah whatever. I'm not going to work with you though Kurenai. Anko said you were understanding of things. Guess she misjudged you."

"Naruto calm down. I didn't know what the illusion showed you..."

"Would you like to see? Want to live one day of my childhood Kurenai? Its not so bad I'm _sure._"

"Naruto I'm so sorry. This genjutsu was made to project your deepest fears and nightmares. I didn't know it would project that..."

Hinata interrupted the conversation. "A-ano Naruto-kun w-why did y-you react l-like that? I-it wasn't l-like you."

"Yeah guess so Hinata. Then again I'm not like you or anyone else but at most 8 other people..." *sigh* "Since we're gonna be Team 8 we have to trust each other. For that to happen I'll tell you everything about me. By the time I'm done you'll have the right to kill me and I'll hold no grudge about that. Sit down because this will take some time."

Hinata and Shino sat under a tree while Kurenai, feeling guilty about what she had Naruto go through, sat next to them. Naruto chose another tree to sit down facing them. Looking at them each in turn he turned to the sky before beginning his tale.

"This story really began ten thousand years ago, when humans didn't even exist. However I'm going to skip to 13 years ago. On the tenth of October 13 years ago. Hinata what happened then?"

"T-the K-Kyubi attacked K-Konoha..."

"And what else?"

"Y-you were b-born Naruto-kun..." She said blushing at his attention.

"Yes. You see I am not exactly human. I was born one though. I was human for about 15 minutes. Tell me Shino, if someone threatens you and everything you hold dear yet you cannot kill him what do you do?"

"The most logical solution would be to restrain or seal them... But you can't mean that... the Kyubi... was..." Shino slowed down as the implications of Naruto's words struck him.

"Exactly. Yondaime couldn't kill the Kyubi. No man can. Instead he chose another solution. He had to seal it. But you see that's not so easy. The more tails a Bijuu has, the stronger it is. The Ichibi could be sealed in a normal item, the Nibi in a specially prepared sphere... But as one goes up the tails it gets harder and harder to seal off. The Kyubi couldn't be sealed in an item, the seal would be too weak. It couldn't be sealed in an animal or the animal would become the submissive personality to the Kyubi. It couldn't be sealed in an adult because the Kyubi's youki would tear the person apart from the youki overflowing the chakra coils. So only one solution remained... Seal the Bijuu inside a newborn baby. And the only baby born that day was... me. I am Uzumaki Naruto and I am not human. My classification is Jinchuuriki. The Kyubi no Jinchuuriki to be exact. In my gut lies the demon that tried to destroy Konoha..."

Naruto let them think about his words for a little time, to allow it all to sink in. Hinata looked terrified and Shino was as always unreadable.

"Now no human, no matter how strong, could devise a seal to hold the Kyubi back. Yondaime didn't die because he used all his chakra. He died because he summoned the one thing to be able to seal off the Kyubi. He summoned the Shinigami himself. That is the real reason he died. Just before he died though he left behind his last words. My name and one request. That I be looked upon as a hero to hold the Kyubi back. The one thing to stand between the Kyubi and all of you. He believed in the people he tried to protect... The fool... they never listened. They saw me as the Kyubi itself. You wondered why I reacted like that to seeing my memories? Tell me how many times have you scavenged trash for food? How many times have you been tortured to the bliss of unconsciousness? How many times have you been poisoned? How many times have you been looked on with nothing but hate, as if your very existence was a blight upon the earth?"

Hinata looked terrified. How could people treat someone like that. How could they torture the one person to save them all... Shino on his part saw someone he could relate to, even though he was outside his clan. Kurenai began to undestand exactly what she did and was feeling guilt unlike anything she had felt before. Naruto though continued.

"There are more. Five years ago... remember a burst of chakra so evil you probably had nightmares of? That was me. Or rather Kyubi. Five years ago, I was hunted by a mob. The weekly chase they gave me. That was one of the few that they actually caught me. I was fortunate. I was only tortured for an hour. Then I got stabbed by a chakra infused sword. Right on the seal." *sigh* "The seal is really powerful, but also delicate. The tiniest disruption could free the Kyubi. And it did. The Kyubi's seal broke. The Kyubi could and heck probably should have gotten free, killing me in the meantime. But of course killing me would be too kind for Kyubi. Instead he chose to devour my soul. He took me to my mindscape and challenged me. There is no escape from such fights. Tell me, how would you react if you saw the Kyubi, a dead demon and realized he was the reason for all your suffering? Tell me? How would you feel if the one person you ever trusted fully never told you anything about who you really were?"

"I fought the Kyubi. Normally I would have died. But Kyubi misjudged something. We were in MY mindscape. There whatever I say goes. There I am god. So I fought him... and won. I also met Yondaime there. Or well a clone of him he placed in order to repair the seal should it ever break. He told me a few things, including my parentage, but that is irrelevant. The point is I defeated the Kyubi. Victory in such a fight means the winnder completely devours and takes the powers of the looser. So I started absorbing Kyubi's power and knowledge. See a problem here? His power was too great. His knowledge too much. I would tear me apart mentally and physically. So... I brought Kyubi back."

Gasps echoed.

"There was no way other than that. I had to. I brought him back and tied him to my blood. I also changed him, erased his bloodlust and made him... my kekkei genkai of sorts. Kyubi will be within all of my children and be their mentor and teacher. He will guide them through a life of kindness. Now... Kyubi is a grumpier version of Iruka-sensei. Oh and he hates cute things." *chuckle*

His team looked at him wide eyed.

"That was not all though. While I absorbed his power most of it escaped and... incinerated the men attacking me. You see... the Kyubi's chakra is poison. I developed a resistance over time though. It allowed me to survive though not as I was. I became even less human. My body is unstable. My DNA is half-broken. However, I can control it. I can cause my body to mutate and change form to make weapons or alter my perception. I can form claws, wings, see warmth or change my eyes to that of an eagle. My body adapts faster than any human's. My bones are denser, my skin harder to pierce, my muscles evolve a hundred times faster than anyone else's, I can heal almost any injury. In short my body's physical abilities go as close to perfection as a human is allowed to be. Tell me... What defines a monster? Birth? Looks? Fame? Actions? Thoughts? What is a monster?"

Pain evident in his eyes, Naruto awaited his teammate's approval. It was the time of truth. They would judge him.

Hinata was torn. Her family had lost many in the Kyubi's attack. Now the Kyubi was alive, in front of her. She was taught it was evil, it was dead. But it wasn't dead. It was a lie. Was it being evil also a lie? Would she go against her family? Her devotion to it had been literally beaten into her all her life. Hyuga above all... Yet she was hesitating. Naruto never asked for this, never had a choice. If he was the Kyubi, they'd have all been killed. He really was the only thing standing between them and the demon lord. She tried for a second to imagine the loneliness he had suffered. It was impossible. Unbearable. She made her choice.

Shino also tried to think about Naruto. His logic said that he was a danger, yes, but an acceptable one. Were he the Kyubi they'd have all been killed. But they were alive. Hence if the person in front of him had that much kindness after all this, it meant he was untouched by Kyubi's hate. Shino also thought about Naruto's loneliness. To him it was even harder. A life without his clan and his insects... without anyone. It scared him. Terrified him. No one to turn to, no one to look up to. He also made his choice.

Kurenai had long since made her choice. It was the obvious one.

Slowly Naruto's teammates spoke.

"N-Narito-kun is no demon. Y-you d-din't ask for it. Y-you kept us a-all s-safe. I-I don't t-think you're a m-monster. Y-you're t-too kind f-for it..."

"I concur with Hinata-san. It would be impossible to maintain a charade of innocence for as long as and especially against all you seem to have gone through. Besides if anyone understands your position in Konoha, it is my clan."

Naruto was elated. Another two people who didn't see him as the damn fox _**'I heard that brat'**_, he could finally entrust them with his final secret.

"Arigatou minna, for seeing me as I am. However I have not shared my final and greatest secret."

Kurenai and her team perked up. What was he talking about. What secret was greater than the Kyubi being sealed inside him.

"This secret is known by three people in Konoha, including me. It is an SS-ranked secret you will not reveal to anyone. Say Shino, what is the first rule of being a Hokage?"

Shino answered automatically. "Do not send others on a mission you wouldn't go yourself. Wait... that means..."

"Yup. Think about it. Would Yondaime ever trust that burden to just any random child?"

Kurenai's eyes widened as she caught up. "T-t-that means you're..."

"Heh come on Hinata-chan, you know better than anyone. Who do I look like? Here's a hint. You see him every day."

Hinata was thinking hard before the answer hit her on the head. Naruto looked exactly like the Yondaime's face on the Hokage Monument. It was impossible yet it was true.

"N-Naruto-kun i-is... Yondaime-sama's... s-son..." was all she got out before fainting.

Naruto chuckled. She was so cute like that.

"Kurenai and Shino, I don't think I have to tell you about this but you will not share anything that happened here with anyone else. Not even my parentage. If these retards don't treat me well, even if I'm an orphan then they don't deserve my father's legacy." Shino nodded. Kurenai found the time to apologize to Naruto.

"Naruto I want to apologize. I didn't know what I would have shown you. If I did, I would have chosen something else."

"Yes you didn't. However that does not excuse you from your actions. I do not forget or forgive that easily Kurenai-san. But if you're wondering, I'll be fine. I've survived much worse. It will simply take some time."

After a little while Hinata woke up. After being told not to repeat anything she heard there, the team exchanged their secrets to bond together even more.

Hinata was on the ground a second time at that time. She had finally found the courage to tell Naruto she liked him only to be surprised by his answer.

"I know already Hinata-chan. I like you too. Even though, thanks to me being an orphan, I don't know in what way exactly. Still the fact remains I like you and it is one of the reasons I'm in this team."

After waiting for Hinata to wake up from Happy-land the team debated on a name. Naruto cam up with their final choice. The team would be named FEAR. Or First Encounter Assault Recon. They will be the first ones to be sent in, recon the enemy and possibly attack its positions using strategic thinking and knowledge over pure firepower. Seeing as it was getting late, the team meeting broke up so everyone could go to their respective homes. To Naruto it was a good day.

Kurenai went to the Hokage and was surprisingly chasticed for being late. However her words shook up the poor Hokage.

"I am late because I had my first team meeting. Also Naruto told me all his secrets. And I mean ALL of them. Including his parentage. Shame on you Hokage. You really have forgotten who you are in your old age."

Of course that drew gasps from the assembled jounin that were however silenced when they heard their Hokage "I... see... I can only apologize I'm afraid..."

"That won't work Hokage-sama. I used my genjutsu to make Naruto view his worse nightmare. He almost killed me and that's without him using his abilities. I'll tell you what he told me 'I don't forgive or forget that easily'."

Sarutobi seemingly aged in a few seconds by her words. He sighed before dismissing everyone. He turned to his crystal ball to see Naruto chased off from a shop.

'Have I really failed you that much Naruto? Minato? Have I really failed you so much?'

As if on cue Naruto turned and stared right towards where the crystal 'eye' was. The look on his eyes gave the aged Hokage his answer.

**A/N: Finally completed it. I know it took me a lot of time but I have this weird writer's block. Not the no-ideas-what-so-ever kind of block. More the so-many-ideas-I-can't-choose kind of block. So many ideas... so little time... My new puppy also takes up a significant amount of my time, she's 45 days old after all so she's pretty whiny. Ah well all babies are I guess. Anyway till next time.  
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**Today, on this 9/6/2012, I, Soulblazer87, do hereby leave this site, possibly forever.**

**I shall not update this, or any other story.**

**I shall leave them on, however. Should you desire to follow my stories, do so in my new site of residence: www dot yourfanfiction dot com.**


	6. Chapter 6

_Chapter 6: Tests of Wisdom, Patience and Skill, Part Two_

The next day found team 8 at their training ground waiting for Naruto. When he arrived he looked exhausted.

"Naruto what's wrong? Didn't you sleep at night?" Asked a concerned Kurenai, Hinata being too shy to speak and Shino silently nodding.

"Yeah kinda. Me and Kyu had a long chat. You see he wants to teach you about HIS type of Genjutsu. Said you got potential. That and we were also working on training schedules. Physically I am the most advanced but I doubt you'll be able to keep up with me. We also had a talk about our specializations. Long story short, while my body slept at night, I was in my mind scape discussing stuff." *yawn* "Sorry about that. Anyway me and Kyu also had a conversation about me getting him out here. I DO have the kitsune contract, but he's inside me so I can't summon him that easily. Sure I might be able to if I use his youki, but I don't know what it'll do to my body and I doubt its gonna be nice. All I could get down to was making a soulless Kage Bunshin and shoving him inside it. Still I'd have to speak with you before I get to it. You're our sensei after all."

"I see. Well Naruto how about you tell us your ideas? And keep Kyubi inside for now. Also what about your mind scape?"

"Ok first things first. Kyu said your genjutsu was amazing, even though he didn't explain how. He said I should ask you about it. He also said he'd try teaching you Kitsune Illusions, that from what I understand are so strong that can s actually cause physical wounds on their target. That and they are pretty damn hard to dispel. For example my Chakra Nami wouldn't work on such an illusion. On the downside they take a crapload more chakra to cast."

"I see. Well I'd love to learn how to use them but that's not a discussion for now. What else did you speak about?"

"Ok after that we had a chat about our training. I am pretty much an all around shinobi, except in genjutsu, thanks to my reserves and physical training. He said that while we should specialize in something we should also be good in a couple more areas and I agree. He said that Shino would be good with a pair of Kama while Hinata should also learn genjutsu, how to use Tonfa or some ranged weapon and maybe learn some medical jutsu. For you sensei he said he could try and teach you some taijutsu once he got out of the seal. He also had some pretty nice ideas about me and Hinata cooperating. He said that while my style focuses on counters and a lot of evading, coupled with aggressive footing, Hinata is the opposite. Hinata-chan, your natural fighting style is to avoid an attack and counter immediately while tricking the opponent that because you're on the defensive you are at a disadvantage. As for Shino he said you and your Kikai-chu pretty much cover each other so you could use them to warn you of danger, much like having a sixth sense concerning danger."

"I concur with Naruto-san's observations. I am however wondering what he meant by specializations since his previous statements all but countered said point."

After Kyubi spent some time explaining to Naruto what Shino had said, Naruto answered; "Because like it or not nearly all shinobi focus on something. For example, I am good in taijutsu, ninjutsu and have started on fuuinjtsu, but I'm most likely going to specialize on taijutsu. Even if you learn how to use Kama, you will focus on your bug jutsu. Its just something to fall back on. Anyway, Kyubi said my specialties will probably lie in reckon, close quarters combat and seals. Shino is reckon, strategy and long range assault. Hinata is reckon, support and close quarters combat. Kurenai-sensei is genjutsu and ninjutsu. This way we got all our bases covered."

"N-Naruto-kun, w-what d-did you m-mean about y-your m-mind scape?"

"The mind scape is a representation of your mind. It takes a lot of meditation to get inside but once you do, you understand a few things about yourself. Its a bit dangerous though."

"A-ano, what d-do you m-mean?"

"Inside your mind scape lie ALL your memories, dreams and nightmares. If you're not careful and have had a bad life, you might get traumatized. Its also the place where mine and Kyubi's consciousness can meet. Mine used to be a dark damp sewer thanks to the beatings I had received. In my case it symbolized my lack of confidence and permeating sadness. Now its a huge luscious forest with a lake and a small cave that hides my nightmares. Word of advice; if you ever gain entrance there, never ever go into the cave. You'll be forced to endure my life and even now I'm not sure how exactly I didn't go insane after all the shit I went through."

"Ok Naruto, now lets get down to the training regime. What did you have in mind?"

"Me and Kyu started thinking up a sort of upgradeable obstacle course. So we thought in the morning we should train our bodies and then go for a mission or two. After that I suggest chakra control and jutsu training. As far as training goes, Hinata is going to be my partner, no offense Shino."

"None taken. It does seem like a good plan. I do wonder though what training you will go through."

"Well since both me and Hinata-chan are close quarters combatants... I was thinking of joint taijutsu training. This way we'll be able to cover for each other. Hinata-chan is naturally flexible, while my kekkei-genkai also makes me extremely flexible. I think we can fight literally within each other's embrace so to speak. If we train enough we'll be able to know what the other is going to do and act accordingly. We could literally be the most dangerous pair in Konoha."

Naruto's speech was interrupted by Hinata that almost had steam coming out of her ears at the prospect of training alone with the crush. In a fighting style that would have them touching almost constantly too! Naruto noticing it rushed to help her; "Hinata-chan! Even though I do admit that your constant blushing and stuttering make you look cute and innocent on top of your natural beauty, there is a limit. If you want to keep on being in this squad you must act the part. I can't fight side by side with an ally that I can't trust to not faint out of shyness! Hinata-chan compose yourself immediately! Otherwise I will leave!" Naruto hate shouting at her, he really did but there was no other way.

**'Way to go kit. Now you've broken her. And here I thought you were with the good guys tsk tsk tsk.'**

'Oh shut up furball. You know as well as I do that she has to break out of it.'

Hinata was meanwhile trying to get out of the stupor Naruto's harsh words had thrown her into. She almost broke down sobbing before...

"Ok Hinata-chan look at me. I said LOOK AT ME! I know you have a crush on me and I know your family has destroyed your self-esteem. You think you're weak and all. Know what though? Out of everyone in our age group you're the only one that actually has a chance of beating me. Trust me not even Neji-baka has your potential. Its just that you limit yourself. I want to help you, but first you have to get over your confidence. Now get up and look at me in the eye! Tell me what you see Hinata!"

Hinata slowly got up and looked at her crush. She saw his concern for her. She started feeling worse by the second... She had angered her Naruto-kun.

"I-I am so s-sorry Naruto-kun. I-I am so w-worthless I s-should just q-quit." *sob* "I m-made you a-angry at me... I-I should just l-leave..." Hinata turned around while Naruto sighed in exasperation. Just what would it take for her to get over herself. Making up his mind he took off his shirt and formed his wings. Rushing forward he grabbed her bridal-style and took off. Hinata eep-ed before screaming in fear. Naruto ignored her cries flying higher and higher.

"Hinata I didn't get angry at you. I didn't shout at you either. I tried to shock you a bit so you could get over it at some point. Seems the only way to get over your shyness and fear is this."

With that Naruto dived, Hinata screaming. At the last second he spread his wings picking up speed. For Hinata, this seemed like the craziest ride she'd ever been on, at the hands of her crush no less. As the adrenaline began to set in however, her screams of fear turned into screams of exhilaration. For the first time in Kami-knows how long, Hinata was having _fun_. Her shyness and fear forgotten she enjoyed every second of her ride. When Naruto finally touched down Hinata pouted. It was nice. Then she got a look at Naruto's smug grin.

"Looks like you got over that eh? Now how about we go back? Here's a bit of wisdom Kyu himself gave me; 'you're only as strong as you want to be. The moment you loose confidence is the moment you will loose. No matter what others tell you, the only thing to gauge your worth is you. That way even if you were to loose, you will never fail.' Remember Hinata-chan, I believe in you and trust you with my life. So what if others think you're useless? Prove them wrong. Its all in the palm of your hand."

Needless to say Hinata's confidence was greatly boosted by Naruto's words. In a comfortable silence they both went back to their team. Shino raised an eyebrow seeing as Hinata seemed much more confident, while Kurenai took Hinata to the side to ask her exactly what had happened. After all was said and done the team got down to fixing the schedule, with Hinata blushing at how close to Naruto she'd have to be and Naruto chuckling at her expense, which in turn got Kurenai bopping him on the head. Shino for his part remained mostly silent but was visibly relaxing around his team. Naruto's laughter and jokes putting him at more ease than he had been outside his home since he could remember.

After a while Naruto asked about Kurenai's test. She explained to her team that exactly because she knew they were protected against genjutsu she had to make special versions in order to confuse them. First of all the Kurenai that spoke to them was a genjutsu coupled with a Kage Bunshin. The voices they had supposedly heard from their team mates were also genjutsu she used to counter Hinata's eyes. After all, the Byakugan, no matter how strong wouldn't detect a sound illusion. The last genjutsu she used was one that projected to the subject its innermost fears such as Naruto's childhood or Hinata's fear of rejection. Fortunately no one asked Shino what his innermost fear was, since whatever had the power to scare the ice-cold bug user must be the stuff of nightmares indeed.

Days passed and Naruto, having finished his obstacle course that was hard enough to give Kurenai a challenge, started getting bored. Sure his training with Hinata was awesome, they cooperated so darn well they could take down Anko. Hinata had started learning medical jutsu, that coupled with her already impressive knowledge about medicine, revealed her to have excellent potential as a medic-nin. Shino for his part had gotten several books on strategy from Kurenai's ex-part sensei Nara Shibi. He had also started some lessons in using Kamas, often using Naruto as his sparring partner, seeing as Naruto healed any injuries in seconds and a lot of stamina. Kurenai for her part spent a lot of time with her team and Naruto's rather... unique training regime (meditating long enough to enter her mind scape for example or focusing and condensing her chakra enough to have it take the shape of certain more and more complicated kanji). Naruto used his Kage Bunshins to study seal making and elemental chakra control. Well his primary affinity might be wind but that didn't mean he couldn't learn anything else right? For practice he had used some of his seals to improve Shino's weapons making them much sharper and sturdier than normal. He also applied some seal on Anko's bracers that allowed her to draw a pair of long knives, again improved with seals.

The team had decided after a week that they would have Naruto as the team leader. As the team leader it had come the time to request a higher ranked mission. So approaching the Sandaime Naruto spoke:

"With all due respect Hokage-sama, I believe it is time for my team to receive a higher ranked mission. We have completed the minimum for a C-rank mission and according to our jounin sensei, Yuuhi Kurenai, our skills qualify for a simple C-rank that focuses around our talents. Therefore I believe I speak for my team in saying that we request a more difficult mission."

"Genin Uzumaki, explain to me why should I listen to a mere _genin_, fresh out of the academy? Am I not capable of discerning who I should give a mission to? Or perhaps you believe that in your infinite experience you know better than your superiors?"

"Simple Hokage-sama. We are shinobi. Young or old, fresh or battle hardened we are shinobi. While keeping us in D-rank missions does serve its purpose for most genin it is not the same for us. First of all as shinobi, we are people of action, destined to face adversities. Staying here, sheltered and secured, trapped in normalcy dulls our skills and that is unacceptable. True we need security and shelter, but we also need to get out and sharpen our skills, something that is impossible in the village. Also may I draw your attention to the purpose of my squad. We are reckoners. How are we going to do our job later on if we have no idea how the world outside works beforehand? Not knowing the smallest detail could spell disaster for our mission and therefore another squad's as well. By going out of the village at our small age, in simple missions, possibly by cooperating with other older and more experienced squads, can help a lot. We will know what to face later on as well as possibly setting up contacts outside the confines of this village. I am not asking for a solo or our team only C-rank. Instead I'm asking that we do our job and reckon for another team in a joint mission."

"Well Naruto-kun I see that your argumentative ability hasn't dulled. Good. Well I have a team going out to retrieve an item. Maybe your team wants to go with them? If you're ready that is. They are leaving in 30 minutes."

Naruto looked at his team nodding and turned to the aged Hokage.

"Hai Sandaime-sama. We will meet up with them. Prepare our mission scroll while my team and I prepare. I will return for it, as I can catch up to my team the easiest."

"Very well. Team 8! You are now on a C-Rank mission to Tea Country. Your objective is to reckon the house of a rich merchant for a stolen item. Once it is located you are to give th results to the other team that will perform the extraction. According to your performance will be your payment. Good luck."

With a curt nod Naruto and his team left to prepare. Having learned the Shunshin no Jutsu, they moved to their individual rooms and grabbed their traveling scrolls. After saying their goodbyes to their respective families they shunshined to the gate to wait for their allied team. Soon a team made of 3 chuunin appeared. As they were going to ask what was happening Naruto deftly landed in front of them.

"Greetings. I am Uzumaki Naruto, taicho of Team 8, a.k.a. Team F.E.A.R. We are your reckoners. I am a reckon and close quarters specialist, while Hyuga Hinata to my right is a reckon, support and secondary close quarter specialist. Aburame Shino to my left is our strategist, reckon and long range specialist. Behind us is Yuuhi Kurenai, our jounin sensei and a genjutsu and long range specialist. Here is our mission scroll. Pleased to be working with you."

|The chuunin looked at the team in front of them and blinked. Short and to the point introduction, on their time and covering all their bases. However they just _had_ to have the damned demon brat. Naruto sensing their discomfort sighed. It would take a long time to be accepted. After the introductions were over the teams moved out using chakra enhanced leaps through the forest to move fast.

It took the teams two days to get to their destination. During those two days the chuunin team all but ignored Naruto and his team but by the third day they were starting to feel better around them. No signs of demonic control were there and his team was functioning like a well-oiled machine setting perimeters and guards every now and then with Kage Bunshins covering their tracks.

At night of the last day the two teams had reached their goal, a huge 4 story high mansion. It was time. Naruto signed to the jounin team to stay put while they did their job. Hinata activated her Byakugan and scouted the house for chakra sources. Meanwhile Shino unleashed a special breed of bugs with the ability to transmit images to him like a short video. As for Naruto, after warning the chuunin team of his unique kekkei genkai, activated his wings. The team just looked at him in surprise.

"Maa, daijoubou. Its just my kekkei-genkai. Got it the day the kyubi almost broke free. See the damned furball wanted to mess with my body so it could use it to get away in it. Thanks to Yondaime's secondary seals though I was able to beat it. The remains of its youkai gave me the power to shift my form a bit. Nothing terrible yeah but its real useful. Don't worry, Sandaime-sama, Jiraiya-sama and Yamanaka Inoichi-sama have all confirmed that the Kyubi is still sealed safely inside my gut. And yes my team knows it and they're ok with it. Now lemme do my job ok?"

With that Naruto left a group of stupefied shinobi looked as he shot up into the night circling the building, scanning it with his special vision modes. The chuunin leader turned to team 8,

"Are you alright with the fact that the kyubi's vessel is on your team? I mean the Kyubi could have taken over and..."

The chuunin was interrupted by Hinata's unusually cold glare. "Naruto-kun isn't the fox. He's its _vessel_ as you have put it. Besides, if the kyubi couldn't take over Naruto when he had been tortured to the point of considering death a blessing, how would he take over Naruto-kun now? I mean even when the idiotic villagers tried to murder him and made his life a living hell, he never gave up protecting him. If he wanted us dead, we'd have been dead already and you know it. Hate the Kyubi's past actions but know that no matter what Naruto-kun will not become like that. He has something that is more important to him than anything else and that's his goal of being accepted by this village. So shut up and have some faith in him."

The chuunin looked at her surprised. Hyuga Hinata was supposed to be weak and timid, yet this Hinata was anything but. Curiously they turned to Shino.

"I concur with Hinata-san. Naruto is simply far too kind and caring to be affected by the Kyubi."

Kurenai couldn't be prouder of her team. The way they were going, they would really change the world. A few minutes later Naruto landed in front of the team. After revealing and cross-referencing their findings the teams turned to Shino. He was after all the strategist. After a couple of minutes of thought he laid out his plan.

"The defense seems weak and we already know their weak points. Team A will enter from the north, behind their storeroom. Kurenai sensei will cover them with a genjutsu. Meanwhile Naruto and Hinata will be stationed at the exit of the mansion so that in case the guards are alerted and their... termination is deemed necessary there will be no escape for them so as to keep the Leaf free of charges. I will stay at the extraction point and keep in safe."

The teams agreed and set off to their tasks. Thanks to Kurenai's genjutsu arts, the guards didn't find out a thing about the shinobi. A mere 3 hours later the two groups were well on their way back to Konoha. Sarutobi, after hearing about Team8's success rewarded them for a rank B mission considering the risks they took as well as taking care of every potential action.

After the mission Naruto went up to the Hokage and asked for a more advanced sealing book, since he had already finished the ones he had gotten before. The third gladly handed him a few books with more advanced seals. Naruto was turning into quite the seal master for his age. He might be low in experience but he sure had talent in the area. Making a mental note to ask Jiraiya for some more books next time he was in Konoha, he gave the team a couple of days off to enjoy to themselves. Their day was going fine as they went to Ichiraku's Ramen Stand for lunch until team 7 appeared. Sasuke scowled at Naruto and proceeded to goad him to a fight.

"Well well if it isn't team dobe. What are you doing here? Recovering from spending too much time thinking?"

Naruto always quick to put the Uchiha brat back into his place glared. "No teme. We're just having fun. Or have you forgotten that there is fun outside your Uke's happy time? Buzz off now asshole."

Sasuke bristled at the insult. "Get up dobe and back your words! Nobody insults an Uchiha and gets away with it!"

"I would if I didn't have to touch you Uchiha. Or if I really had any doubts about who would win the fight."

"Hn so you realize you would never defeat me dobe?"

"On the contrary you brat. I don't want to fight you because I _know_ I'd beat you. No use fighting an enemy with no chances of winning."

"What did you say dobe? Get up and prove it!"

Sakura of course jumped to defend her crush. "Yeah Naruto-baka! Get up and fight Sasuke-kun or shut up like the baka you are!"

Naruto rubbed his ears. "Oh great the pink banshee. What do you want Haruno? Don't you have a wall to smash with your forehead? Geez..."

Sakura was sputtering after Naruto's insult. He never had insulted her as much as he had right now. And for some reason it hurt her. Luckily, or unluckily depending on who you were, Sasuke rushed to 'defend her pride'.

"Get up and fight me dobe. Or are you going to hide behind that pale-eyed bitch of yours?"

Time stopped as chopsticks fell on the counter. Shino and Hinata both looked at each other and thought 'Idiot' Naruto slowly got up and turned to the Uchiha. Meanwhile Kyubi was asking for the brat's blood for having insulted Naruto's mate.

"Take... it... back..."

"What? You wanna fight for that looser bitch's sake? You must be more stupid than I thought. You have no chance against me. I am an elite _Uchiha_ and you are a useless, worthless, son of a bitch that..."

Sasuke's tirade was stopped by Naruto as he literally exploded forth in a burst of speed sending a palm strike in Sasuke's sternum knocking the wind out of him. Right after he disappeared and reappeared behind him, smashing his elbow on Sasuke's ribcage making a cracking sound. As Sasuke was shot forward again Naruto waited for him, sending a punch into his face knocking him down. Sasuke twitched on the ground weakly trying to get up. Bleeding from his nose and lips, with a busted eyebrow and a shattered jaw, not to mention the right half of his ribcage almost entirely broken to pieces, he couldn't make a coherent motion. Sakura watched in horror. Hinata and Shino sighed. It would definitely leave a mark. Kiba laughed. Naruto marched over to the sprawled form of the Uchiha and looked at him in contempt.

"You are weak Uchiha, just like the rest of your clan. You lack a driving force, to push you through everything, therefore you lose to me. You are not scum. You are worse than scum."

Sasuke's mind had one thought throughout the pain. ' I must get stronger in order to beat _him._ I have to get stronger. I have to hate more. More hate. More...MORE HATE!' Sasuke's mind had been as fractured as his body. Naruto called for some medics. Sakura in the meanwhile started yelling at him for hurting her Sasuke-kun and that he was a monster and that she would take it to the council. Hinata stopped her mid-sentence.

"That would be stupid Sakura. Sasuke himself threatened and challenged Naruto to a duel and lost. That is something that the owners of this shop, three clan heirs and subsequently their cans will support. Since neither Sasuke nor Naruto are civilians, they would be tried only by the shinobi council. In other words your mother and the civilians won't be able to do anything. So get your useless excuse of a humanoid being and get out."

Kiba stared wide-eyed at Hinata's words while Sakura started retaliating with a barrage of insults and accusations making no sense even though one could easily hear the words 'Pale eyed bitch', 'demon', 'monster loving', 'blue haired slut' and a number of other insults. Finally the ANBU had enough of her and chopped her at the back of her neck knocking her out. Naruto apologized to them and asked them to keep it covered. After the ANBU left, Kiba and team 8 went to their training ground to have some fun.

A few days later, after the Uchiha was released from the hospital, he tried to press charges at Naruto. However without the backing of the civilian council, not even Danzou, Homura and Koharu could help him. Especially after the Hyuga clan head, Hiashi, made it plain that whoever wanted to condemn the boy that defended his child's honor would have to get through him first. It was an unnecessary threat however since most of the shinobi council supported Naruto anyway.

After the incident died away Naruto requested yet another C-rank mission, this time to aid Team Gai in taking out a bandit group in Mizu no Kuni. It all went well until the fight started. Naruto was paired up with Hinata against the leaders of the group, while Lee and Neji took down the bulk, using their extreme speed to take down the strays. Behind them Shino and Tenten showered the bandits with their individual attacks, keeping Lee and Neji safe. Gai and Kurenai were watching from behind, ready to interfere though.

It was soon discovered that there were a pair of shinobi leading the group. A couple famous for their use of poisons. The man used a ninjatou and was mostly using taijutsu to engage up close and personal while his wife used senbon and wide-area poison jutsu to weaken the enemy. She also had a ninjatou she used sometimes but was not nearly as good with it as her husband. Naruto was busy fighting the man while Hinata had taken the fight to the woman, using her own senbon needles to hit her nerve points, closing in whenever she could. It went well until at a concealed gesture, the nuke-nin pair both attacked Hinata in a flash, taking her by surprise. Before she could react, there was a sound of flesh being ripped. Blood sprayed on Hinata's face as a pair of blades protruded from Naruto's back. He had saved her at the cost of himself. Hinata started tearing up until she heard a growl.

"I... won't... let you... I... WON'T LET YOU HURT HER!"

With a primal roar, Naruto formed his claws and attacked. The pair thought that he was weakened by their poisons, not to mention a pair of swords going through him. Instead they got a clawed hand in their stomachs. With a grunt Naruto shoved his claws upwards effectively impaling them. His hands had entered at the couple's stomach region while four claws protruded from their shoulders, with the fifth claw (that of the middle finger) stabbed into their brain. Naruto threw them to the side and fell on his knees. He had never encountered this poison before, and coupled with his wounds he was weakened. Hinata rushed over him and started healing him through her tears. It didn't take long for him to be able to stand up. Neji spoke about how fate had declared that he was to live, before getting slapped by his supposedly weak cousin that tried to explain him that Naruto was alive because he wanted to and never gave up, not because fate declared it. Of course Neji didn't listen and Naruto was too annoyed by Neji to try and change his views. In the end they left in relative peace and went back to Konoha. Relative since Lee and Gai would never shut up about Naruto's flames of youth.

As the team reached the village, Team 7 was leaving on a C-rank mission to escort Tazuna to the land of waves. When Sasuke and Sakura tried to show Naruto up, he merely shrugged them off and told them they were coming back from a B-rank mission and an encounter with shinobi not mere bandits. Ignoring Kakashi's wide eyes, Kurenai followed her team inside the village all the while making fun of Sasuke's and Sakura's faces.

**A/N: Woot finally done! Vacation is over so you can expect updates relatively regularly. I had lots of fun and have recharged my batteries. Hope you people did too!**

**P.S. 8.5k hits! Gotta love the feeling!  
**

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**Today, on this 9/6/2012, I, Soulblazer87, do hereby leave this site, possibly forever.**

**I shall not update this, or any other story.**

**I shall leave them on, however. Should you desire to follow my stories, do so in my new site of residence: www dot yourfanfiction dot com.**


	7. Chapter 7

_Chapter 7: Riding the Wave_

In Konoha, Team 8 had just returned from their fight in Mizu no Kuni. After getting to the aged Hokage for debriefing, and getting paid, they took some time off to relax and train in their own ways. Or in Hinata's and Naruto's case, spend some time together. They did like each other, both had confessed that part, however they hadn't 'made it formal' yet. Most on Naruto's request. He couldn't let the villager's bias and stupidity hurt those he cared for. Hinata didn't like it of course and that is why at the moment Naruto had taken her to a picnic of sorts on top of the Hokage's heads. It had a beautiful view, especially on a sunset.

It had been a day since Team 8 had returned and things were getting back to normal with their training. While they were still doing their warmup however a messenger bird flew to Kurenai, landed on her extended wrist, like the well-trained bird of prey it was, and Kurenai took a small message tied to its leg. After letting it go, she read it and called her team.

"Bad news team. We're requested in another high-ranking mission. All other teams are out and we're the only team in Konoha that has a chance there. We have to go to the Hokage right now. Seems like a B to A rank mission."

The team nodded and like a well-oiled machine packed up their training items and left for the Hokage's tower. In a hurry they made it to the Hokage's room, giving a small salute. The aged shinobi spoke to them;

"Yesterday as you were returning from your mission, gennin team 7 left for the land of Waves. It is a small port village with a large economic potential. As of late however a business man named Gatou, of Gatou Industries, took over as a tyrant. A man named Tazuna has taken up the job of building a bridge to unite said land with the mainland. This way they can get away from the economic stranglehold he has placed on the land. Obviously that doesn't sit well with mister Gatou, so he has hired some nuke-nin to take out Tazuna. I sent team 7 there before I found the existence of nuke-nin. It seems however they have encountered a pair of chuunin ranked ones. Your job is to go there and support them. Since you are more experienced you have command of the mission. Your mission is to protect Tazuna with the added option of taking out Gatou if possible. Do not leave incriminating evidence pointing towards Konoha in that case. I wish you best of luck."

"Jiji can we have this written on an official scroll? Especially the fact where we have overall command of the mission. The Uchiha and his follower will not listen to us otherwise. As far as the mission goes, me and my team accept. It will be hard though so we'll take a couple of hours to say our goodbyes if it is all right with you."

"Very well Naruto-kun. Keep in mind that while I want you to support Team 7, you shouldn't overestimate yourselves. Return safely please."

Team 8 nodded and left to their residences. Kurenai visited her friends Anko and Yuugao, while Hinata said her goodbyes to her sister and father. While she did try to talk to her cousin Neji, his aloof behavior made it nigh impossible to do so. While Shino was talking to his clan, Naruto went to Iruka first and then to Anko. After two hours the team met at the gate and left immidiately for team 7's location. Meanwhile Anko went to the eldest Sarutobi to... express her dislike at the mission. Poor man had to watch his Icha-Icha collection turn to mush by Anko's poisonous snakes. The mental strain required Inoichi to block the memory...

Team 8 traveled quickly through the trees, Hinata scouting ahead with her byakugan. During the past weeks of training, she had gotten over her extreme lack of self-esteem, which helped her grow in an amazing speed. Of course having a sparring partner that could push you to the edge, not to mention having no fear of accidentaly hurting him, helped. While she still wore her previous outfit, she had also expertly hidden a few 'surprises' for those getting to close to her, such as a large amount of poisoned senbon needles in a seal on her wrists. Just a small touch of chakra and voila one poisoned needle ready for firing. Her tonfa were sealed on her belt. In Shino's case, he had placed tracking bugs on his team mates as well as a few 'recording' bugs. His Kamas were sealed in the inside of his coat. Naruto was using a small group of henge'd Kage bunshin to move ahead of his team to draw any attacks on them. Other than his clothing he was the only one with a backpack of some weight and size, packing his teams supplies in scrolls, including but not limited to medicinal supplies for Hinata, clothes, tents, food, extra weapons, a bingo book and one of Shino's bug experiments he was working on. He also had a couple of books in sealing and some sealing supplies to practice with.

It was night when they got to Tazuna's house. Carefully they went to the door and knocked. A young woman opened the door. Naruto introduced himself and his team;

"Greeting ma'm. I am Uzumaki Naruto, taicho of team 8 and a recon, sealing and close quarters specialist. To my right is Hyuga Hinata, a recon, medicine and secondary close quarters specialist. To my left is Aburame Shino our strategist as well as recon and long range specialist. Behind us is Yuuhi Kurenai, our jounin sensei and a long range and support specialist. We have come to assist Team 7 in protecting Tazuna-san. May we come in?"

During the introductions the team members nodded. After he was done the woman introduced herself as Tsunami and let them in. As soon as that happened, Sakura, Sasuke and Kiba went up to them. Sasuke spoke first.

"What do you want here loosers. This is OUR mission so get the fuck out of here and leave us alone. After all you're all worthless trash compared to an Uchiha like me."

Naruto sighed. "Actually this is OUR mission now. We have been sent by Sandaime-sama as the most experienced unit he could find in the short amount of time he could. Don't forget we have gone in hard missions before you so sit down. In this scroll we have confirmation of taking over this mission Uchiha so sit down before I send you home. Got it?"

Sakura started shouting at Naruto "What the heck? This is our mission! Shut up Naruto-baka! Don't insult Sasuke-kun! He's so much better than you, you useless idiot!" Her rant was abruptly stopped by a slap that came from... Hinata of all people.

"Will you shut up Haruno? We are taking over his mission so shut the hell up damnit. Kiba have you guys set up a defencive perimeter or something?"

Sakura again interrupted:"What defencive perimeter are you idiots talking about?". Kiba just gave a negative answer. The ever-present Uchiha however asked them why they would need one in the first place. His presence alone would scare any enemies away. Team 8's thoughts however...

'What the...' by Shino.

'Err... ok that's stupid' by Naruto.

'Are these people for real?' by Hinata

'Kakashi either you suck as a sensei or these should be executed for sheer stupidity...' by Kurenai

Naruto sighed before replying. "A defencive perimeter is set up around your charge to make sure noone gets close. It seems this team has no idea what it is, much less how to create one. Very well we will create one instead. Shino, Hinata-chan? Lets do this. **Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!**"

Naruto summoned a group of clones, while Shino placed tracking and recording bugs on them. Meanwhile Hinata made sure the area was clear. Naruto's clones then went at equal distances in a short, tight circle around the house so their heat-vision mode would not let anyone get close, henge'd themselves to stones and small plants and waited just in case something happened. Kiba whistled at their cooperation. They didn't even need to speak with each other. Sasuke on the other hand went off to brood in a corner, with his faithfull puppy named Sakura following. Kiba took team 8 to Kakashi that was lieing in a fuuton asleep due to chakra exhaustion. Hinata immidiately got to treating him, as she was the only one with medical knowledge, not to mention that due to her Byakugan she was capable of properly infusing him with small doses of chakra to jump-start his system. It took her an hour but in the end Kakashi wasn't in the coma-like slumber of chakra exhaustion but in a restfull sleep. Hinata made a mental note to ask Naruto about a new technique that came to mind. He seemed to have a talent for these things if one went by account that he already had a pair of unique jutsu. Naruto and Shino in the meanwhile were being briefed about everything that had occured. Tazuna and Tsunami told Team 8 of what Gatou had put them through, the pain, the starvation, the fear they had experienced. The killing of their only hero. Naruto and his team were disgusted. They immidiately agreed that they'd take out Gatou no matter what. Such scum should not be allowed to live.

Some hours later, after dinner, Team 8 held a strategy meeting with the only member of team 7 that was willing to cooperate, namely Kiba and his nin-dog Akamaru. After hearing about every part of the battle, Shino concluded that Zabuza was alive, wtih a ANBU-level ally to boot. Considering that Kurenai was at a disadvantage against Zabuza and most probably his accomplice, their only way out of this safely was extra training. When Kiba made a move to suggest this to his team Naruto shook his head. The Uchiha wouldn't agree and Sakura would follow her crush. While he could order them to do the training regime, if they didn't want to do it, it wouldn't do them any good. Besides, according to the team's medic, Kakashi should be up tomorrow, so he should be able to convince them to do it. Until then though, time was wasting so Team 8 and Kiba went outside. At the Uchiha's demand to know what they were doing they simply replied they were going scouting around.

Outside, Naruto asked Kiba what training he had received. Seeing as he had no training at all he started Kiba on Tree-walking.

"Alright Kiba, Akamaru, you've got to learn a basic chakra control excercise. Its called tree-walking and as the name says, it allows you to walk on trees. Not climbing but actual walking, like so." With that Naruto demonstrated the excercise to Kiba who looked awed.

"It is real simple actually. You have to pump a small amount of chakra in the soles of your feet and climb. Normally I'd say run up and mark your progress, but I'd personally suggest placing a foot after the next. You won't fall as many times this way. Hinata will help you with regulating your chakra. Akamaru, you should do it too. It'll help really. Once you complete this, if we have time we'll teach you water walking otherwise we'll spar to get you up to shape."

Kiba and Akamaru both picked a tree and started on it. While they made good progress, it was still slow, so Team 8 went to their individual practices. Shino went to the side and meditated on his bugs, creating a sphere of kikai-chu, at which some Naruto clones started throwing weapons faster and faster. Shino then used the input of his insects to detect the attack and couter it with his kama. Hinata and Naruto on the other hand squared off against each other. Kurenai set out to attempt to complete the excercise Kyubi had made for her. She had to gather a lot of chakra and concentrate it to the point of it taking a liquid form. She almost had it down but it was very draining. Thanks to that however, her own chakra reserves had increased, as had her already impressive chakra control. She had asked Kyubi, through Naruto that is, if she could use a Kage Bunshin for it, but the ancient Bijuu replied that she had to learn it with her body, to the point of being able to do it without too much focus. Kurenai sighed after her attempts failed for the third time that night. Kyubi was really a slave driver, very effective but a slave driver nonetheless.

Next morning, Hatake Kakashi woke up to the sound of people verbally tearing each other off. As he got up he saw the Hyuga heiress over him treating him with her Byakugan active.

"Ohaio Kakashi-san. How are you feeling?" she asked without stopping her treatment for a second, a treatment which consisted of using chakra bursts, much like jyuken to restore his chakra system.

"Better already Hinata-san. I see that Sandaime sent you and your team as back up. What's the fight down there for?"

Hinata sighed a bit. "It seems that Uchiha-san's pride simply doesn't let him get some things. He's been actually ordering Naruto-kun to teach him his jutsu. I wonder if Uchiha-san will survive the day this way... Naruto-kun is pretty annoyed. Anyway here is some food you should have. I have healed most of your wounds and restored your chakra coils as much as I could. It is only a matter of time now to fully heal and you should take it easy. Only very light excercise and chakra manipulation is allowed. No more than tree climbing for now. Otherwise the strain will hurt you. Now I'll leave you to get dressed." With that Hinata left Kakashi to get dressed while she went downstairs to attempt and defuse the situation.

Downstairs Sasuke was yelling at the 'dobe' to show him his jutsu because he was undeserving of its power. Shino sighed, this was really annoying even for the stoic bug user. Kurenai on the side was ready to mentally mutilate Sasuke. She wasn't a morning person and yelling first thing in the morning really annoyed her, especially since she stayed out all night trying to complete her chakra manipulation. Naruto on the other hand was promptly ignoring Sasuke's existence and was cooking something for the morning. Kiba had gone out to hunt something if he could. Sakura was busy trying to get Kurenai to punish Naruto for ignoring her Sasuke-kun.

That was the scene that greeted Hinata, who was also assaulted by Sakura about Naruto continuously ignoring her Sasuke-kun. After telling her to, in no uncertain terms, go hit a tree with her forehead, she too went to the kitchen to help Naruto prepare breakfast. Shino was busy speaking to his insect allies and coming up with the proper strategies to deal with the situation. This scene of chaos was the first thing Kakashi saw as he came down the stairs. He sighed, his team might look good on paper, but their teamwork was as non-existent as their patience. Sasuke was a power-hungry fool, Sakura had no knowledge outside her books and Kiba was always rushing head first. His smartest student was in fact... Akamaru the nin-dog. Poor puppy was pulling Kiba out of every trouble he got into. In relative silence breakfast was served when Kiba came back with a pair of rabbits for lunch. It wasn't much though since everyone who could hunt did so to feed their families, so game was scarce.

After breakfast, Kakashi broke the news that Zabuza was in fact not dead. After his team got over their fear, he announce he'd be training them to fight Zabuza's ally. Naruto and his team looked at each other and agreed they'd be doing some training too when not guarding Tazuna and his workers. Meanwhile Shino had made a basic schedule they'd follow. It was mainly shifts rotating to watch over Tazuna, using a code to be sure of the other's identity. In the meantime they'd be practicing with each other in preparation of the fight, that is when they wouldn't be securing the area around them or sleeping. After pretty much ordering Team 7 to go train, Naruto followed Tazuna to his bridge, while leaving some clones at the house for protection. Once there he summoned another bunch of clones and had them spread out to watch the area, while he made some more to help Tazuna after using henge to look like common people.

Kakashi started his team on the tree-walking excercise and was between amusement and annoyance at Sasuke's reaction when Kiba surpassed him in it. Amused since it really was funny seeing the supposed number one elite Uchiha get trumped and annoyed since he was pretty much ordering his own sensei to teach him jutsu using nothing but his family's name as incentive. Sakura on the other hand... despaired him. She didn't work out, fawned over the Uchiha and still clung to the fairytail that her knight in white armor would save her every time.

Team 8 proceeded with their plans and training in a separate area than team 7. They had to or there would be a very real danger of Sasuke and Sakura seeking revenge, each for their own reasons. As much as Naruto and his team might want to get a chance, any chance, at bringing Sasuke down a peg or two, it really wasn't the time for that.

At lunch team 8 had the... pleasure of meeting Inari (cue shicker from Kyubi at the name) in all his brooding glory. Naruto sighed after his speech before he spoke.

"Is that all Inari? Are you finished?"

"Yeah and what are you dumb blond gonna do about it? You're all going to die!"

"Are we really? You do not know us kid. I don't know about team 7 over there but this is not out first mission. So how exactly are we going to die?"

"Shut up! Gatou will kill you all! Noone can kill him! He's got money! You don't know anything about us! You just butt in our business! You don't understand us!"

"Guess that's true. I don't understand someone who lost his father because I never had one. Or a mother for that matter. I don't understand the pain of someone who eats two meals a day because some years ago I might have been lucky enough to scavenge enough trash to eat one meal every two or three days. I don't understand the pain of someone who can sleep at night and not run away from mobs of your own village trying to kill you. I don't understand the pain of someone who is as an idiot as YOU! You think I never felt pain? Fool! My whole village hates me apart from maybe 10-12 people. And that's a maybe. I've been hunted down, beaten upon, thrown out of the orphanage at five and had more assassination attempts on me than any Kage. So yeah I don't understand your pain. Little coward what are you going to do? Sit there and cry about your fate or get up and face it like a man? I'm out of here. You make me sick. Maybe me and my team shouldn't take out Gatou as is our mission. Maybe you cowards deserve him."

With that Naruto left the house leaving a sobbing Inari, a freaked out team 7 and a sad team 8.

"Was it really that bad?" Asked Tsunami.

"He actually sugar-coated it for you. Trust me, the worst you've been through is nothing compared to him. Yet he still holds on to his humanity. He's just that amazing." Answered Kurenai.

"Will the gaki be alright though? I mean he doesn't seem to be coming back anytime soon?" Tazuna looked worried. He had liked the kid.

"Ano I will go l-looking for him. He is j-just upset and n-needs to vent a bit."

With that Hinata left to stalk... err spy... err look, yeah right look for her crush. After activating her Byakugan, she left to look for him deeper in the forest. True to Hinata's prediction Naruto was at a small clearing venting on some poor trees. Naruto seemed pretty pissed off.

"Naruto-kun... Inari-san didn't know... please calm down..."

"I know Hinata-chan... I know... I just don't know who I am angrier at... Inari or Gatou..." Naruto slowly stopped punching the tree. He had already created dents and holes in virtue of his claws.

"Naruto-kun, n-not everyone is you... Inari-san is just a kid... a s-sheltered kid who l-lost everything he knew of..."

"I know Hinata-chan... its just so... it reminds me of my past... how I felt..."

Hinata hugged Naruto who visibly tensed for a bit before relaxing. "Don't w-worry Naruto-kun. I'll be t-there for you. You are not alone anymore."

"Arigatou Hinata-chan... you really are my savior..." Naruto whispered the last part. After the conversation, the two fell asleep with one of Naruto's heavier coats covering them.

In the morning Naruto woke up early to the sounds of the forest. After seeing Hinata hugging him, he purred softly before going back to sleep, content smile on his face. That was the scene that greeted Haku as he had gone foraging for herbs to help Zabuza. A pair of kids hugging each other asleep. Seeing their hitai-ate though, Haku frowned. They were Konoha ninja, which meant they had been sent to back up the other team. This was bad. They had to be eliminated. Haku tried to kill his emotions and do the deed... but couldn't. Sighing he woke them up.

"Hello you two. What are you doing here? You could get cold."

"Nah we're fine. Wasn't really cold last night. Besides I've left some clones watching out for us. If something had happened I'd have known."

"Clones? You are ninja then? You have headbands too."

"H-hai we are ninja of Konoha. We w-were hired to p-protect the b-bridge builder."

"I see. So what were you doing here?"

"I was here venting from last night. Damn cowards giving up so easily." *sigh* "Hinata-chan go to Kurenai-sensei. I'll be there for training as soon as I clean up this place a bit."

"Hai Naruto-kun."

"Training? What do you train for? You seem pretty strong already if you did this all."

"Yeah I'm strong... but not strong enough. I need to get stronger. Much much stronger."

"But why? What reason do you have to get stronger?"

"Heh I'm a person that's hated. So if I want to be with my friends I have to be strong enough to protect them. Even if it costs my life I won't let them get hurt."

"So you have prescious people?"

Naruto looked melancholic. "Yeah... few of them but they are very important. You have such people too right? Is that why you are gathering herbs?"

Haku looked at her basket. "Yes.I have to help him since he saved me from my hell."

Naruto gave a sad smile, remembering his past always saddened him, even though now he could look at it with pride. He had survived it, he had not fallen to the darkness around him. "So why were you hated? In my case it was something that happened at birth and reminded a lot of people their dead loved ones."

"I come from Water country... and my family had a bloodline. It never manifested in me and I didn't receive shinobi training, but my mother had it so my father tried to kill us both. They and a mob that had gathered died that day. I lived alone until my prescious person came along and gave me a purpose to exist."

"I see... We are more alike than you think nee-san. Anyway what is your name? I am Uzumaki Naruto."

"Haku. Just Haku. Pleased to meet you. And I am a boy."

"Hehe not according to my nose even though you are good at hiding it. I do understand you hiding it though. Especially with that creep Gatou's thugs around. Anyway I'll be late for training so I got to go. If you want you can meet us again here tomorrow morning. My team is pretty open minded so you shouldn't worry about things."

"I think I will Naruto-san. Thank you."

After saying their goodbyes the two parted, Haku going to gather more herbs for Zabuza, all the while thinking about the weird blonde. They would have to fight soon. Haku sighed, she hated fighting and especially killing. How she wished there would be anoteher way for them to solve this. She had finally found a friend, not master like Zabuza but a friend that could understand her and in less than a week they would fight to the death. Haku's sadness didn't escape Zabuza's notice. He didn't find out why but when Haku asked to be excused for tomorrow morning he allowed it. Wouldn't do her any good anyway to stay in Gatou's place and Zabuza wasn't exactly defenceless either.

The next day Haku did meet up with team 8. After being introduced to the team she took special interest to the quiet boy named Shino. For some reason he... intrigued her. Whether it was the fact that he revealed little of himself or the way he held himself or the way he spoke, she didn't know. He seemed weird but not uncomfortable. She even realized that he had shut himself emotionally from most people in order to not get hurt by them, rather than being generally anti-social. Kurenai also seemed interesting. Even though she never hid her feminine qualities she was strong and unafraid. Something very few kunoichi, especially young ones, could claim. Haku was told a few things from all members of team 8, such as what happened the day Naruto was born, though nothing of the seal was ever mentioned, the way Hinata was treated by her own father and Shino's loneliness when it came to people outside his clan.

Unfortunately Haku also had the bad luck of meeting team 7. While glad that neither Kakashi or Kiba recognised her, she was angered by the other two team members. Kiba might have been a bit too straightforward in his advances towards a cute girl as he put it, but it was nothing compared to the other two. When Sasuke found out Haku had a latent bloodline, he practically demanded she be given to him as a way of strengthening the Sharingan. Of course this caused Sakura to repeatedly screech and insult her for stealing her Sasuke-kun, no matter how many times Haku refused to accept Sasuke's rather foolish proposals. In the end Sasuke was punished by Shino who disabled them both with his Kikai bugs. Despite these two however Haku had a good time, perhaps one of the few happy times in the tired oi-nin's life. It caused her that much more grief too, that she would have to fight them soon... If only... if only something could have worked out... Haku didn't sleep well the next days, dreading the day she would have to fight and possibly kill again. Zabuza noticed it but when he inquired his ally, the only thing he got was Haku's insistence to abandon the job and just leave. Zabuza of course did not accept this. He was a proud shinobi and would see to it to the end, his honor demanded no less.

That night Haku slept lightly, not once letting go of team 8's gift to her. A tiny stylized silver pendant in the shape of a snowflake. It took Naruto, Shino and Hinata a long time to make it and it wasn't that expencive. It was however something that Haku treasured. Finally the morning Haku dreaded came. Steeling her heart she showered, ate an early breakfast and got ready for the fight against her friends. It was time for Haku the friend to fade away and Haku the shinobi to emerge... It was time for battle and blood.

**A/N: Ok first of all I want to thank all my reviewers for making it worthwhile to write. Thanks people. You're the driving force behind this. I would especially like to thank P5yCH0, Abe95 and Ferail. This chapter took me a long time to write 'cause my inpiration seemed to have slipped away a bit, getting only little glimpses of it. Ah well it happens. Oh and remember to vote on my poll.**

**Now some matters that have to be addressed.**

**Sasuke/Sakura Bashing: Some have asked about it so I gotta give the reply. There is Sasuke and Sakura bashing but it is naturally occuring. In the 'original' if you will, Naruto was teamed up with them. During their travels and difficulties they bonded together. Because of that Naruto 'mellowed' them out a bit. Sasuke wasn't as big a prick and Sakura came to actually think of him as more than a useless pile of flesh getting in her way and shouting DATTEBAYO! all the time. In this case however, Naruto is not with them. Because of this small change, Sasuke not only remained a prick but became even more of an arse, since Kakashi (being famous and pampering him) confirmed in a way his superiority. Something he goes out of his way to prove all the time. Also because Naruto beat Sasuke in taijutsu, Sasuke desperately wants to beat Naruto at any cost. In short he sees him as a milestone to defeating Itachi. Again thanks to the lack of Naruto's calming influence, he only falls more and more into a manic-depression of sorts; if he isn't taking out someone strong, he broods and broods about his dead family. Sakura on the other hand... Well in my opinion there are two types of evil-doers; those who do evil because they LIKE it and enjoy it and those that do evil because they are too stupid to realize what they are doing. Sakura belongs to the second group. Remember book smarts are not wisdom or real intellect. Merely memorization. It was clearly shown in the show when she couldn't ID a Kawarimi and questioned her sensei about why there were only two bells in the bell test. I'd have expected that of Naruto or Sasuke but she was supposed to be the smart one. Anyway, once again, since Naruto isn't there to show her another way, or to mellow her out a bit, she remains a loyal fangirl, in fact becoming even more fangirl-ish as time goes by. Anyway for the reasons explained, Sasuke and Sakura constantly try to 'bash' Naruto, so of course he retaliates. Seriously, what would YOU have done? I hope I answered well enough.**

**Naruto's Killing Spree: Naruto killed at 9 remember? Also Kyubi explained some things to him. That's why, even though Naruto doesn't like killing, he is not going to cry his eyes out because of it. He's accepted it as a part of his duties and in fact sometimes is glad about it since dead murderers or rapists don't come back do they? He of course understands that he can't take them all out, but also understands that every little bit helps. In his own words "If I have to kill so be it. If I have to become a demon so be it. I will kill so that noone else has to bear this burden. I will become that which everyone fears so that when I die you will be free of your fears." Kind of deep but its just the way he thinks. Now as to why he kills so easy, it is simple. Bludgeoning attacks can be reduced by the toughness and training of a person. Those of you learning martial arts know what I'm talking about. If you hit a wall enough, over time your skin will harden so that your hands won't hurt anymore. Same thing here. Most people train their bodies so punching them doesn't hurt them as much. In Naruto's case however, he doesn't punch. He cuts and stabs. Because of that, he severs muscles, rips enemies open and kills relatively easy. Take into account that he is about as strong as Lee and his claws are as sharp and strong as tempered steel. Also notice that he attacks lethal points, brain, heart or ripping out the intestines. In the latter's case the enemy won't die immidiately, but the bloodloss and pain will take him out. In his last fight, keep in mind that his enemies were surprised; he was stabbed with a pair of ninjatou, stabbing him through his lungs while poisoned at the same time. He took advantage of it to quickly take them out. And yeah unless you cut his head off, maintain constant massive trauma or destroy his heart and keep it that way, Naruto will ignore the damage and keep fighting. While he may be slowed due to pain, he won't stop. Besides don't forget Anko trained him quite a bit. That means his poison resistance is pretty darn high as well as his pain tolerance. She's a damn T&I expert. She knows how to inflict a lot of pain without killing the subject. Especially on a subject that has as little chance of dieing as Naruto.**

**Kyubi's Role: Kyubi is here to help Naruto. He is not here to give him an easy way out. He's there to maybe provide some answers when he deems it necessary. He does train Naruto and teach him how to manipulate his chakra better but he isn't going to teach him jutsu or tell him how to defeat everything or make him immune to genjutsu. Of course he MIGHT help against say a very powerful one but then again only after having Naruto figure it out. In case you're wondering why Naruto made Kyubi his kekkei-genkai... you just have to think about Naruto's life. As an orphan, being alone again is the one thing that scares him more than seeing his prescious people die. Its exactly because of this that he made Kyubi a bloodline. This way, no descendant of his will be forced to live a life like that. To him its a hell beyond anything else imaginable so he seeks to protect his children from it. Besides he knows that even though he's very hard to kill, it is a possibility (no Naruto isn't stupid-he knows that there are a few things that could kill him even if he doesn't know his limits). This way at least his children will have a father figure in Kyubi that will be able to guide them and protect them. Note that Kyubi didn't offer, he was pretty much ordered to. **

**Naruto's Body: Naruto's body has evolved to a near inhuman level. For example his muscle fibers are ten times thinner than a normal human but are also ten times stronger, meaning he can maintain a wiry and thus quick physique while also possessing immense strength. His bones have more 'hollow' which allows for more bone marrow, creating more blood for him, while his bones have much more calcium and carbon inside making them as hard as, if not stronger than, a Kaguya's body. His heart is surrounded by bone protecting it, is made of 4 compartments instead of two even though the extra two are usually not working, when they do however Naruto experiences a massive increase in strength, stamina and speed for a very short time, usually about 20-30 seconds. Naruto's lungs are made up of individual compartments, each capable of functioning on its own and providing enough for Naruto to fight on. It also allows him to hold his breath for much much longer. Each and every joint can bend both ways if Naruto wants them to while also maintaining the same strength as if they were bending the 'normal' way. His brain has many more synapses for electrical signals, he is ambidextrous and his eyes transmit images much faster than a normal persons, enabling him to see in 'sharingan speeds'. All in all Naruto's body has evolved above and beyond anything else, making him next to unkillable. Also his immunizing system is capable of analyzing and breaking down any substance, from rotten meat to bone to viruses to poisons. In other words, he can become immune to a poison after a single time of experiencing it and thanks to his body's capabilities, he can do it in about 5-10 seconds. Hey I told you this was a god-like Naruto didn't I?  
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**Today, on this 9/6/2012, I, Soulblazer87, do hereby leave this site, possibly forever.**

**I shall not update this, or any other story.**

**I shall leave them on, however. Should you desire to follow my stories, do so in my new site of residence: www dot yourfanfiction dot com.**


	8. Chapter 8

_Chapter 8: A Bridge to the Future_

Naruto woke up with a start. Something was wrong today... Naruto woke up his team before sun-up. They had to speak and prepare.

"Naruto-kun w-what's up?" Asked Hinata as she was preparing breakfast. Why waste time after all?

"Hinata-chan I have this nasty feeling... You said that Kakashi-san has recovered today right?"

"H-hai Naruto-kun. He r-recovered c-completely yesterday. He s-should be in t-top form today."

"Then Shino... from today on... we stop training. Most probably Zabuza has recovered as well. If he was placed in a death-state it should take some time to recover and depending on a medic-nin... he could be ready to fight soon."

"That is correct Naruto-san. I came to this conclusion myself. The two teams must split between guarding Tazuna-san and his family. After all it would not be above Gatou or Zabuza to take Tsunami-san and Inari-san as bait for our contractor. A hostage situation would throw in a number of twists in our actions. I suppose Team 7 should go to the bridge while we stay here and possibly support them. We can cover the ground faster than them, should they need our assistance, not to mention the fact that we have already established a defencive perimeter here that will work only for us."

"I see... Well we can either hope that team 7 will cooperate with us or I'll send a clone to watch out for them so in case they have trouble we'll know. Now that I think about it, I'll send the clone anyway. Never hurts to prepare. Anyway team, weapons and equipment check first thing after breakfast. Wouldn't be fun to be caught without weapons or equipment."

Slowly the rest of the Konoha forces woke up and prepared. After Shino warned them, something Sasuke and Sakura all but ignored, Kakashi took his team and left with Tazuna. Truthfully the man wanted team 8 with him but he understood that the bespectacled kid had a plan and knew better. Besides it seemed like cyclops was a respected shinobi. No it was the cocky brat and the pink-haired one (is that even normal he asked himself quite often) that he didn't quite trust.

Naruto secretly sent a couple of henge'd clones with Kakashi, since the man understood what had to be done. Should trouble appear, a clone would dispel, letting Naruto know and in case Kakashi and the rest were captured the backup clone would dispel as well after a time letting Naruto track them down. After a hearty breakfast, at least for Kiba and Sasuke as Sakura was once again on a diet, team 7 left for the bridge. It had been only a couple of hours since team 7 left when the defencive perimeter was triggered by a pair of ronin. After being neutralized by Naruto's clones, team 8 interrogated them. They said they were going to kidnap Tsunami and use her to force Tazuna to give up. Naruto nodded to Hinata and the two sped off to the bridge. Shino stayed back to protect the family since he was best suited at fighting a large amount of weak enemies.

At the bridge, Sasuke and Kiba were doing their best to survive Haku's Demonic Ice Mirrors. Akamaru being out for the count, albeit alive, Kiba was doing his best to protect his packmate. Said packmate however wasn't as protective of Kiba and Sasuke, being Sasuke, constantly charged the oi-nin that had trapped them, instead of trying to stall for time as Kiba had suggested. When all of a sudden Sasuke could actually see Haku's movements and his eyes turned red, Sasuke was filled with pride. He had activated his Sharingan! Now all the power was in his grasp. Or well he thought that before a couple of senbon were launched from behind him, hitting him in the neck. Since Sasuke hadn't helped Kiba at all, the Inuzuka had been disabled waist-down, so when Sasuke let his guard down, Haku took him out as well. The nuke-nin still hated killing, she only disabled and that was what she was going to do to Kiba when Hinata appeared blocking the senbon with her Tonfa, Byakugan blazing.

Hinata was really worried about Kiba, and to a lesser extent Sasuke, he was after all a Konoha Shinobi, no matter how much of a jackass he was. None of that concerned her right now. It was time to focus on her enemy, for her and her friend's sakes.

"Why did you betray us... Haku-san?" The hunter-nin's head slightly dropped.

"I have no choice Hinata-san. For Zabuza-sama I must do it. He is my precious person."

"But why him of all people?"

"Because he saved me when I was alone. Because I am now Zabuza-sama's tool. As a tool I must do my job and defeat you. Forgive me." With these words Haku charged at Hinata, trying to hit her pressure points to disable her. Hinata for her part used her Byakugan to see the attacks and her trusty tonfa to block them. In a dance that took Kiba's breath away, Hinata dodged and parried her way through Haku's seemingly endless reserves of senbon. It went on for a couple of minutes and that was Hinata's plan. It seemed these mirrors took a large amount of chakra from Haku. So if she could stall enough, Haku's jutsu would run out and her speed would revert to manageable levels, with the added benefit of low chakra.

Haku could feel her reserves draining fast. This jutsu was supposed to take out an enemy fast, it wasn't suited for extended fights. Yet if she dropped it, Hinata would definitely take it to melee and a Hyuga in melee was a very very bad thing. Haku kept her mirrors until she could no longer support them. When they finally crumbled, Haku touched the ground exhausted. Before a word could be uttered, Hinata charged and landed a couple of strikes on Haku's arms with her tonfa, dislocating her shoulders. Hinata looked at Haku in sympathy. She only was looking out for her prescious person. Missing-nin or whatever, she wasn't evil. She should not be killed for someone else's deeds.

"Haku-san, if you don't like what Zabuza does, then change him. You are his only friend. If you really care for him, then change him.I won't pretend to understand why you follow him, but I too have a prescious person in Naruto-kun. He is kind and caring, but sometimes he gets angry at everyone. I don't help him hurt those that anger him, instead I calm him down. Because I care for him I will change him. I remind Naruto-kun that he is no monsted no matter what others say, and he listens. Haku-san. If Zabuza cares about you and deserves your care, then he will listen. You must speak to him though Haku-san. Trust me, I know what happens to those that fall to their anger. They become hateful, bigoted beings, wanting nothing but destruction, wasting their existence in meaningless squables. You don't want that right? Then show him there is another path Haku-san. If you care for him, then help him out of his own hate."

"You do not understand Hinata-san. Noone does. Zabuza saved me when I was hated by everyone. When my father killed my own mother and then attempted to kill me. When I was hated because of my blood. When I was all alone. Zabuza-sama made me feel needed. I must help him."

"Exactly. You must help him. Help him out of his hate. Show him another path. Don't worry, I will ask Naruto-kun to arrange sanctuary for you two, but only if you change him Haku-san. It is the only way to be truly happy. Besides I understand you somewhat. I am hated by my family too, always talked down to, always someone telling me I was a failure, my father never caring about me, my cousins hating me... Naruto-kun helped me. And I helped Naruto-kun when he became lonely. Zabuza needs a friend or a daughter Haku-san... Not a tool, but a person. He simply doesn't know it."

"I can fight no more... Please take me to Zabuza-sama... if I see you speak the truth, I will follow your advice." Hinata helped Kiba up and the trio went to see the jounin fight.

Kakashi had been fighting Zabuza for some time with Kurenai's aid. Between the fog, Zabuza and protecting the bridge builder, Kakashi had his hands full and so did Kurenai. Suddenly as Kakashi missed a block and saw the blade come for his head Naruto jumped from the fog and kicked it aside. Zabuza cursed and fell back.

"Kakashi-san pull back. Unlike you I can fight perfectly in this fog. Kurenai-sensei, guard Tazuna-san."

"Pretty cocky words from a brat. I wonder if you can uphold them."

"I can and I will Zabuza-san. Why do you fight? Why do you obey scum like Gatou and let them rule you? Why lower yourself from the respected position of the Seven Swordsmen to support a traitorous scumbag like Gatou?"

"I need the money brat. Something you can't understand, having lived comfortably in your little happy village. I need the money to overthrow that bastard Mizukage."

"I don't understand? You'd be surprised. Let me show you the truth." Naruto called his claws forth and charged Zabuza. Kurenai seeing that placed a genjutsu to cover the two warriors from the gennin.

The two warriors charged at each other, killer intent becoming another aspect of their fight, like a child's tug-o-war that would kill the loosing team at a moment's notice. Zabuza sent a downward chop at the incoming Naruto who used his claws to parry it to the side then put said claws on the back of the blade to leap over it sending a kick at Zabuza's face. Zabuza on his part pulled back his head, spun, ripping the weapon off the ground and coming in for another slash at Naruto, who rolled under it and away from a kick from Zabuza.

"You think I don't understand? I've been hunted down by my own village for something I couldn't control, on my own birthday since I can remember myself. I got a fucking demon sealed inside my gut and since I was one day old I had a damn pedophilic hawk trying to make me loose control so he could make me his own personal bitch. Ya think you're the only one with a harsh life? Spare me your sobbing story and open your eyes; there are always some who had it worse Zabuza!"

Naruto charged yet again, claws extended, going in for the kill. He and his enemy clashed again and again, sparks flying, neither combatant giving the other the slightest advantage for that would prove a lethal mistake. Both locked into a deadlock, grunting as they pushed to gain that little advantage that would ensure their survival, their eyes locked with each other. Both then realized that somehow, at some point, the reason for the fight had become obsolete and now they were fighting because they wanted to, because their _instincts _cried out to each other, urging them, pushing them to fight harder and harder, to prove their ultimate superiority as warriors. Winning or loosing didn't matter anymore, only the fight, only the sheer _exhilaration _of facing an enemy that _will _kill you at the slightest flaw.

Time slowed down for the two warriors, as if each clang of blade against concrete and claw against metal had its own _unimaginably special significance_, as if missing a single spark that flew from the meeting of the warriors would make the difference between life and death.

Zabuza had finally pushed Naruto back, limiting his evasive capabilities, with a mighty heave he sent his cleaver straight at Naruto who used his claws to block. Kurenai and Kakashi were mesmerized at the fight, Kurenai even dropping the genjutsu at a point. Zabuza pushed down at Naruto, Kubikiri Honcho grinding at black claws, while Naruto used his strength to keep it away from him. Sparks flew until the perfect balance was broken. Naruto's claws broke. Naruto kicked the ground, launching himself away from Zabuza, barely escaping death, instead getting only a long gash on his left side from the massive cleaver. Kakashi made to help but Kurenai held him back. Kakashi nodded once, Naruto had to do this, it was his fight. Unnoticed to the two jounin, or perhaps they had noticed yet didn't react, Hinata and Haku were watching the fight. Haku had never seen Zabuza so... free, so _unrestrained_, so completely devoted to a fight.

Naruto glared at Zabuza, inside his mind Kyubi roared. It was time. Naruto closed his eyes as Kyubi's voice echo'ed. Observe, evolve, overcome. Observe, evolve, overcome. Observe, evolve, overcome. Naruto started mouthing the mantra. "Observe, evolve, overcome." Naruto's determination once more burst through as he opened his eyes. Zabuza held back a breath. These eyes... so human and yet so... powerful.

Naruto's voice rose in intensidy. "Observe, evolve overcome."

Something started changing inside Naruto. Something he hadn't felt for years came back to him and he smiled. He knew what it was. He was changing again. "Observe... Evolve... OVERCOME!" With a final cry Naruto's hands shifted in a new, previously unknown shape, as Naruto swung his new arms in a deadly flourish, reminiscent of a pair of infinity symbols in front of him, grinding his blades together in the end. Blades? Yes. His arms now were completely different. His forearm had been covered with what looked like bone plates to protect it with wicked serrations running on the outside rim. From his wrist extended nearly 60cm long, wickedly curved blades obviously sharp on both sides, edges glinting malevolently. On the other side of each forearm were smaller blades, only 15cm long.

_**'Nice going kit. Looks like you got another power. Looks much sturdier than your claws, even though the weight is going to slow you down. Now take down the ningen that defied us!'**_

_'I'm on it Kyu. Heh these seem... fun. Looks like I'm picking up Anko's bloodthirst. Let's do this.'_

Zabuza, as well as the crowd watching the fight, were all stunned by the new change.

"Damnit brat what the hell are you?"

"I thought I told you already Zabuza. I am Konoha's demon brat. I am Kyubi's jailor, executioner and salvation. This is the power I grasped with my own two hands thanks to the idiots who confuse a kunai with the scroll it's sealed in." Naruto smirked _ferally_. "But none of this matters. All that matters is this fight. Shall we continue?"

The two combatants faced off against each other once more, sparks flying more wildly than before. Zabuza saw that he now held the advantage, as Naruto had obviously only just learned how to do _that_ with his hands, but he saw and knew that the advantage would wear off soon as Naruto got more and more used to it. He knew, _knew_ he should feel fear or at least be slightly intimidated, but as Naruto said, it didn't matter. Only the fight mattered, the spilling of the enemy's blood, the sound of flesh being torn apart, the pain of muscles nearly tearing themselves apart trying to comply with their owner's requests. Zabuza almost laughed in exhilaration, he would honour this oponent no matter what. He just wished one of them wouldn't have to die this day, he really, really wanted this guy as a sparring partner. One look in Naruto's eyes and he knew the brat had come to the same conclusions.

Had one watched from above, unbound by the restrictions reality places upon everyone, he would have seen two warriors, so much the same as they were different at the same time, communicating worlessly. He would see and understand the bond the two combatants now shared, a bond that formed only when one fought and understood someone _perfectly_. It was a moment of pure understanding where gaps of age or birth or training didn't matter. Only the soul resonating with another.

Unfortunately this moment was broken by a malicious laugh. A laugh belonging to a short, midget of a man, in an expencive tuxedo and his army of lackeys. The warriors stopped and looked at the intruder of their perfect moment.

"Well done Zabuza-chan. Well done in tiring them out. _Unfortunately_ I don't think I'll be needing your services any longer. You missing shinobi are so expencive. This small army of ronin is cheaper than you and your bitch" *Zabuza snarled at this* " and will have the pleasure of killing you getting me the money of your bounty! Heeeheehee, just kill the men. The girls will sell nicely, especially the red eyed one and the one with the white eyes. Exotic fare like this is-"

**"Gatou..."** Naruto started emitting a red chakra around him, killer intent unlike anything the poor man, no _prey_ had ever felt before. **"I would have let Zabuza here kill you quickly, but I don't think I'm going to be so **_**kind.**_** I'll take care of you **_**personally**_**. Zabuza, Kakashi, how about a small competition? Winner gets a favour from the other two."**

"Sure brat, haven't had a challenge in I don't know 20 seconds?"

"Hmm why not. They are scum that will come back if we don't deal with them."

**"Very well, the deal is made. Gatou your soul is forfeit.**_** Ninpou: Nibai Kitsune Kuchiyose No Jutsu: Kage to Kaze!**_(Ninja art: Double Kitsune Summoning Technique Kage and Kaze)**"** Naruto used his elongated fangs to nick the thumb of both hands he had re-formed while speaking to Gatou and placed them on the ground. Two puffs of smoke later a pair of Kitsune stood there. One was a black colored, three tailed, red-eyed kitsune about as large as a small horse. On the other side stood a two tailed Kitsune, this one blue and white-tipped, with nearly glowing blue eyes.

The black one spoke first: **"Who do you want me to kill today Uzumaki?"**

To be followed by the white-blue one: **"Yay Naruto-sama called me again! So so so? What do you want us to do? Huh? Huh?"**

**"Kage go with Kakashi, Kaze with Zabuza. Time for slaughter. Leave none alive."** The two foxes jumped to their respective charges, while their summoner reformed his weaponry. Kage literraly jumped into Kakashi's shadow, the shadow that became twice as thick as before, almost as if it was absorbing light. Kaze on the other hand leapt to Zabuza's side, yipped a couple of times as he started running around him, faster and faster, becoming progressively invisible covering Zabuza in what seemd like a cloak of wind, though an experienced wind user would realize it was an armor made of wind blades, one strong enough to block next to any physical assault. All three shinobi grinned ferally, well Kakashi _seemed_ to grin, one could never tell with that mask of his.

The three shinobi charged at the throng of enemies ahead. Or Naruto charged _through_ them while his allies, who obviously didn't share his suicidal tendencies, chose to take on their enemies few at a time. Naruto charged straight on, jumped forward, rotating his body mid-flight, putting his blades in front, in effect making a corcscrew rush with his head protected by his blades creating a drill of blood and gore. As the rotation slowed Naruto lashed out with his two bladed arms before slamming one down and using it to rotate himself once more, lashing out with both his legs and the blade of his free hand killing more as he slashed or kicked hard enough to break their spines and necks. Jumping from that Naruto made a backward jump stabbing a pair of unfortunate fools with the blades on the back of his forearms. Immidiately reversing his movement Naruto took a couple of steps forward impaling another pair of enemies on his arms. Feeling the blood flow freely on his hands Naruto freed himself of the soon-to-be corpses, turned to the next batch of enemies to continue the slaughter.

Kakashi was having an easy time fighting. Despite the lack of training, the bandits were many, but the Kitsune partner all but negated that. The scarred ally jumped out of the shadows to bite a neck or hand or leg or weapon to protect Kakashi. The one-eyed jounin soon found himself appreciating the help, especially when the fox saved him from what would be certain death by decapitation by impaling the poor fool with what seemed tendrils made out of shadow matter.

Zabuza on the other hand was having fun. His wind armor made him next to invulnerable against these fools so he was pretty much going all-out offencive on the bandits. He too seemed to enjoy his Kitsune ally and the immunity it provided. That blonde gaki sure knew his summons. Now if only the damned fox would stop that annoying giggling...

Kurenai, Haku and Hinata (Sakura had rushed to her Sasuke-kun and started crying) watched in morbid fascination at the slaughterhouse the bridge had turned into.

Gatou... was scared shitless. This was impossible. He was Gatou of the Gatou Industries! He was not supposed to die in this no-name village by a no-name brat and _his own tools_! It was preposterous. And that terrified him.

Naruto kept up his dance of death, body parts and weapon pieces flying through the air by the veritable tornado of death the blonde child had become. Blood flowed freely, covering the stench of human excretions with its coppery scent, making the ground slippery, moreso by the bodies and missing body parts that littered the area. Screams of terror, pain and death resounded through the blood-spattered abbatoir that would free this country. Man stepped on man, man stabbed man, man killed man painting a surreal image of death and blood. So much _blood_. Naruto ha dlong since started pushing chakra into his blades, increasing sharpness and length, making a most unrealistic image; a child that was completely covered in blood and gore, yet the most deadly part of said boy was free of the life-giving essence that covered it. A blur even to jounin, Naruto didn't even bother dodging. He just went in for the kill, feeling clubs break on his bones and spears refuse to injure him, he made a rapid spin, blade extended, opening, _carving_, a bloody path through his enemies, slowly reaching his _prey_. The same prey that had threatened his friends and allies. The same prey that he would _enjoy_ killing in a most horrific manner. The only kill he would enjoy.

Gatou was petrified. This was no human in front of him, this was no being of flesh and blood. It ate the flesh of others and drank the blood of the dead. And these eyes... these terrifieing, damning eyes. These eyes, slitted and red... Gatou couldn't tear his eyes from the _thing_ that would take his life. He watched as kille by kill, second by second, death approached him. He could only look at his death approach him, the vision of a demon overlapping with his killer. Like a deer in front of headlights, like a mouse hypnotized by the snake that would eat it, Gatou merely watched.

Naruto had finally reached his prey. What a pathetic ningen to threaten his precious people. He stalked at his enemy, this pathetic fool. Kyubi's youkai gathered at this hands-turned-blades, forming a red, shimmering shell of vile energy. The energy flared, as if rejoicing, as the right blade ripped into Gatou's stomach. Gatou screamed in raw terror and pain as the energy burned his insides, a pain unlike anything he had ever felt or imagined. He felt every vein in his body flow with fire instead of blood, his insides melting and reconfiguring, his skin flay, his bone shatter and his muscles tear themselves apart. Gatou's entire world was pain.

Naruto watched with hateful eyes as his enemy died slowly, feeling pain most beings would be unable to comprehend. As his prey died, Naruto turned looked back at his friends and allies. The bandits lay dead, cut with kunai, zanbatou or bladed arm, their blood painting the river below them red. Naruto spread his bladed arms to the side and _roared_, screamed to the heavens. His cry became strangled and harsh, his strength left him and he fell on his knees, hands reverting to their original form. Hinata was the first to break ranks and dash to her Naruto, catching him as he fell, gently laying him on her lap. Hinata ran her hands on Naruto's hair, reminding him she was there for him and the red, malignant glow of the Kyubi faded away. Kakashi turned to Zabuza and Haku, making sure they wouldn't turn on them while Kurenai and a newly arrived Shino rushed to Naruto's side. Inari and the villagers he had gathered had come right on time for Naruto's victorious, or was it sorrowful, scream.

Naruto's world was wracked in pain, as Kyubi's power receded to the seal and he could hear the ancient being draw his attention to something... he didn't know what... he didn't care... all he wanted was to sleep... just to close his eyes and sleep. Naruto's body tensed before Hinata's terrified eyes. He started bleeding from the pores of his skin, from his eyes and nose, blood coming out of his mouth. Mere seconds later a spasm overtook Naruto's body. Quickly falling to her limited medical training, Hinata activated the few diagnostic jutsu she knew one after the other as her team gathered around her.

Naruto started shivering and trembling, occasionally his body jerking and everyone around could see the strain on the body to merely stay alive.

Hinata was baffled. Her few diagnostic jutsu gave her contradicting results. Closing her eyes she remembered everything she could about Naruto's affliction and status. Surprised she opened her eyes, fear written all over her face. She turned to the questioning looks of her team. "Its Kyubi's chakra. Remember that Naruto-kun's ody became unstable after being exposed to an amount of it. What if its happening again, but this time its worse. Its finishing the job it already started. Naruto-kun's body is falling apart... and I don't know anything that could help him..." Hinata's voice was a barely audible whisper by the end, sorrow stealing her courage, vitality and strength. Her Naruto-kun was fading away in her hands...

Haku had got the last part and went to Hinata's side. Sure neither were fully trained medic-nins but maybe together they could keep him alive. After all Zabuza-sama had asked her to. Asked her, not ordered her.

Green chakra flared and the two medics started working on their patient, new wounds opening mere moments after the previous was closed and hope was draining as fast as their ever diminishing chakra reserves.

**A/N: Another chappie done. Thanks for the support everyone. School's starting soon so I hope I can keep up with some updates as well as keep you entertained. Also please vote on my poll. I will release the results at the end of it on my next chapter.**

**Here are the profiles of Naruto's two summons.**

**Profile: Kage**

**Tails: Three**

**Abilities: Shadow Manipulation and Shadow Melding**

**Bio: Kage is **_**the**_** lead assassin. Rough and cold, though never cruel or outright evil, he knows what he's made for and accepts it. A no non-sense attitude and a focused mind force him apart from the rest of the kitsune clan. Black fur and red eyes, coupled with a number of scars mark him as a cunning and dangerous warrior. Rumours say that Kage has even managed to get the drop on Kyubi himself and even taken down six and seven tailed Kitsune. When fighting in tandem with a partner Kage melds in the shadow of his partner and leaps from there to attack and flank.**

**Motto: "Who do I have to kill today?"**

**Profile: Kaze**

**Tails: Two**

**Abilities: Wind Mastery and Wind Form**

**Bio: Kaze is Naruto's favourite summon. Over-energetic, with a warm personality he's as fun-loving as they can get. This blue-white Kitsune however can become your worst nightmare should you ever manage to anger him. Using his abilities to literally turn himself into a conscious, intelligent fox shaped wind jutsu, he can charge down an enemy battalion with abandon and tear them all apart. Extremely fast and capable in fighting, Kaze is Naruto's favourite Kitsune partner. When fighting together Kaze whirls quickly around his partner encasing him in a powerful armor made of wind blades, making most attacks ineffective.**

**Motto: "Yay! I'm here again! So what do we do now? Eh? Eh? Eh? Come on!"  
**

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**Today, on this 9/6/2012, I, Soulblazer87, do hereby leave this site, possibly forever.**

**I shall not update this, or any other story.**

**I shall leave them on, however. Should you desire to follow my stories, do so in my new site of residence: www dot yourfanfiction dot com.**


	9. Chapter 9

_Chapter 9: Regrouping_

Naruto lied on the blood-covered bridge, body wracked with unholy pain. He could feel his body turn on itself, an inner war that would doom him. Kyubi screamed at his vessel, trying to get his voice to reach the vessel on the verge of death. The age-old bijuu had been analyzing the situation and, as much as he might not like helping the child, it knew that this was one of _those_ time.

**'Kit, KIT! Focus! We're dieing! Thanks to your unstable body, my youkai is causing your body to break apart! You need to work here with me kit! Your body is breaking down faster than it can heal and without building materials we are going to die! Now FOCUS! I know its hard but we need meat! Raw, fresh flesh and blood! You hear me kit? We need flesh and blood!'**

Poor Naruto, his world comprising mostly of pain, could barely hear the being inside of him. Few words registered on his mind, flesh and blood. It seemed important. Naruto knew it and while he was having a hard time, he used the last reserves of energy he had, while he had them, to speak. "F-f-flesh... g-give... m-me... f-flesh... raw... blood... n-need m-meat..." It was all he could get out before he was out of the little energy he had and screamed in pain. A pain that got even Sakura to look at his direction, so completely overwhelming it seemed. The poor villagers didn't know what to do. They wanted to help him, but they couldn't, no living being should live in such pain. Kurenai and Kakashi on the other hand, worried about something else. Even if Naruto survived, he would probably be changed. He had just killed, no _massacred_, a hundred humans, used the power of a demon and his body started falling apart. The physical and mental pain could tear him apart... and if that happened Kyubi...

Hinata and Haku heard his request and could only ask Shino to take care of it. The Aburame merely nodded before hounding off to find some animal to kill and get to his friend while the two medics helped Naruto stay amongst the living. Kiba, who had finally regained some mobility watched in horror as his packmate died a slow, dishonorable death. He glanced to his dog partner, who nodded in reply to Kiba's unasked question and the pair ran off to the surrounding forest to help as much as he could, even as he was tired from his fight against Haku. If Naruto could endure that pain so would he.

Haku and Hinata, aided by Kakashi and surprisingly enough Zabuza, took the trembling Naruto to Tazuna's home to take better care of him. Kurenai... was beside herself with worry. Being a friend of Anko's she knew just how Anko trained a potential student and taking into account Naruto's... past, his pain threshold should be way, _way_ above most people's imagination. Yet to hear him scream in pain... Anko herself had told her that Naruto had enough of a pain threshold to take a tanto through his gut (one of the most painful wounds possible, often compared in intencity with a strike to the genitals) without so much as grunting. To hear him scream in agony... Kami above, even if he got through this ordeal alive, his mind could be _shattered_. Thankfully enough, Kurenai, being a genjutsu specialist, knew of the workings of the mind, enough to at least identify some heavy problems before they became to heavy to treat.

Kiba and Akamaru were literally scouring the entire forest in search for meat, their muscles resisting every motion and their chakra painful since they had taken two hyorongan (soldier pill, near-instant restoration of chakra at the cost of physical pain from the strain when moulding, daily safety limit is three, four or more could cause death by chakra depletion or physical exhaustion). Kiba had already been lucky enough for Akamaru to spot a pair of rabbits in a hole, which he had bagged already, but Kiba suspected from the severity of the wounds that it would probably not be enough. Suddenly his radio buzzed, it was Shino.

"Inuzuka-san, I have located a possible prey, an aged deer. Return to the client's home, I shall be there shortly."

Kiba merely grunted in reply before making way at their 'HQ'. Quickly making way at the screaming Naruto's room, he unsealed the two rabbits from a scroll and tossed them to Hinata before slumping down in a heap. His packmate had earned some more time and Shino was bringing up the rear. Kiba managed to give a weak smile to Akamaru before falling asleep.

Hinata quickly took out a kunai and cut the rabbit to pieces. Her chakra was so low it hurt to even hold her hands steady when patching Naruto up as much as she could in her limited resources. Quickly making way to Naruto she literally gutted it open, letting the blood, gore and intestines fall into Naruto's mouth, while Haku lifted the poor boy's head up so he wouldn't choke.

Naruto could feel a taste through his pain, a taste calling to him, he knew he had to eat it, even though he could barely move. Slowly the pained blonde started moving his jaw, feeling the life-giving liquid guzzle down his throat, chewing the slimy intestines of the meal that had been given to him, slowly _needing_ more, he bit off more on his own, his body's needs overriding even the unimaginable pain he was under. Bite by bite, gulp by gulp, crushed and swallowed bone by crushed and swallowed bone, a messed up, horrid, disgusting, yet so _needed_ meal went down Naruto's body, already being broken down even while in his esophagus.

Haku and Hinata watched as the tortured, semi-conscious boy ate the rabbit on his own, a hunger born of necessity. The rabbits were gone in a minute and both could see he was slightly better. It was not much but it was a considerable improvement over whatwas before. They knew he would need more soon though, the poor meal would only sustain him for so long. Taking their third hyorongan, knowing full well that they would probably faint in less than thirty minutes, feeling pain on every cell of their bodies as they pulled more chakra out of them than they were supposed to possess, the two medics got back to trieing to keep Naruto alive a little bit longer. They knew their pain was _nothing_ compared to the pain he was in. What drew the attention of Haku, and at some point her fear as well, though was the fact that Naruto had seemed to slow down at a point. His heart beat had slowed down to a crawl, his breaths coming once every minute, even though by his screams he should have hyperventilated.

Shino was running through the forest, his prey secured on his holster via sealing scroll, its carcass still warm. Ignoring the door, he pushed some of his precious little chakra to his legs, leapt, and landed through the open window of Naruto's room. To his chagrin... he almost fell on poor Haku when he saw her placing Naruto's head on her lap trying to hold him still enough for Hinata to fix his eyes. Poor Shino froze and he didn't even know why he envied Naruto's position. Shino frowned, it was illogical, he would have to ask his otou-sama about this and maybe his okaa-sama. Quickly getting out of his predicament, with not a moment to waste he took out the dead deer and with his sharp and effective Kama slit its throat over Naruto's gasping mouth, blood staining both the floor and Haku's kimono, which considering the circumstances, didn't annoy her nearly as much as it should have.

Naruto drank hungrily from the blood of the animal, feeling it work its way to his own bloodstream, purifieing the carcinogenic cells that were created from Kyubi's youkai. Before anyone could hold him back, his hands shot forth, grasped the dead anima's throat and he pulled himself to the wound, trieing to drink as much as he could, as if his life depended on it, which it apparently did. After the flow slowed down to a trickle, Naruto bared his long canines and bit _hard_ tearing through the anima's hide. Fortunately, Shino had had the mind to use his kama blades to quickly take off as much of the skin he could in the short time Naruto had literally been draining the poor animal dry.

Naruto's pain lessened with each bite he gulped down, the flesh being broken down to replace his own broken down flesh, spent to contain and repulse the 'tainted' flesh that used to be his own. Luckily Naruto found, this process allowed him to maintain his mutations, even if he didn't realize it at that specific time, being completely absorbed in devouring his fleshy meal. Kyubi on the other hand, had taken great care in cataloguing and understanding what had happened as well as help from his side on anything he could, especially directing Naruto's now operational natural healing capabilities.

If a medic opened up Naruto's stomach at that point, they would have been baffled at the sheer efficiency and speed of digestion. Naruto's body wasted absolutely nothing if it could help it, bones and flesh breaking down in what seemed like seconds, their nutrients distributed through Naruto's body at speeds that most human's bodies would be unable to compare to. Then again a Jinchuuriki with an unstable DNA chain was not normal. Naruto's body was completely replaced in a matter of a single hour, his entire blood volume in a mere 15 minutes while at the same time isolating the harmful cells that were the result of Kyubi's youkai.

Naruto slowly came to his logical senses as his pain dimmed, and the deer was little more than a hind leg and a head. Not even bones escaped Naruto's feeding frenzy as he needed to replace his entire sceletal structure. As he came around, he finally realized what had gone on in the room, Kiba lieing down next to him as Kurenai and Kakashi placed him, Haku asleep and Hinata almost knocked out and a tired Shino having what seemed like soldier's soup (soldier's soup is a mixture of highly nutritional ingredients that focus to give someone as much energy as possible without harming the body, its taste is absolutely horrid, but its value when in need of a quick, easy and nutritional meal without much hassle or difficulty of ingestion is unquestioned, Tsunade was one of the first to create bars that when boiled would bring forth this soup aided by the Akimichi clan, considered jounin-ranked equipment for extended missions, though most who know of its existence carry a bar or two anyway, some prefer to slowly munch on the bars themselves claiming it makes the taste at least bearable).

Naruto slowly got up, still feeling phantom pains, Kyubi congratulating him on his survival and gently laid a hand on an exhausted and nearly asleep Hinata. Shino had already tucked Haku in a futon, not that in her near-delirious haze, could she tell what happened. Hinata on the other hand had stubbornly refused to let her eyes closed before her Naruto-kun had recovered at least a bit. Naruto picked her up bridal-style, carried her over to her futon and covered her with a blanket before nodding to Shino and getting out of the room. After all, his comrade would need his rest as well.

Naruto calmly walked down the stairs in Tazuna's home, politely greeted the family, his sensei, Zabuza and Kakashi before excusing himself and going outside to, as he said, keep watch.

Kurenai lifted an eyebrow at his behaviour and signaled to Kakashi, something was wrong, she would check it out. After getting Kakashi's approval (after all he was ANBU and more experienced than her, meaning that even if she had overall command, his opinion mattered a lot) before going out after her student. Soon her fears were confirmed as she found Naruto mercilessly pounding on a stone.

"Weak, weak, weak, weak, weak, weak, WEAK, WEAK, WEAK I'M SO GOD-DAMNED WEAK!"

CRACK

And the poor stone exploded to dust.

"Naruto, would you care to share why you're weak?"

"What the hell do you mean sensei? I am a fucking monster. I massacred these people. Damnit there were other ways to take care of this other than that!"

"True enough Naruto, but if you hadn't defeated them so completely, they would have returned and done that all over again. But that is not really the reason is it?"

"Of course it is! But what do YOU know Kurenai? What do YOU know of taking _pleasure_ in the ripping apart of others? In feeling their blood rush down my arms? In WILLINGLY ripping them to shreds and not resisting these murderous urges? What the hell do YOU know? You have no IDEA how I felt back then! I was fucking GIDDY! I was almost LAUGHING AS I TORE THEM APART! I AM A FUCKING MONSTER! And now... Now I've done even worse. I've let Hinata-chan get my blood on her, I've tired her out, heck her LIFE might be in danger. Do you have any FUCKING IDEA how hard it is to NOT revert back to that monster I was and blindly attack everyone? DO YOU?"

"Of course I don't Naruto-kun. Of course I don't. After all I wasn't trusted with keeping a demon down. But let me tell you, you are not as much of a monster as you think you are. I too have felt such things, I too have done such things. Mutilated the minds of others, over and over again blasting the minds of my enemies. But I know a few things about what you feel. And I know its not healthy to keep it all bottled up. I know... Anko did that as well... I saw my best friends go insane by keeping these things inside Naruto. Come here and let it all out."

Naruto slowly, unsurely, walked towards his sensei. "Its so hard sensei... So fucking hard... I can still feel the call to murder and slaughter... Even when Kyubi himself doesn't want to, even when he tells me not to listen to it... I still feel it... I... I almost... I almost killed Hinata-chan... Not just with her exhausted chakra... when... when I came around... I..."

"Let it all out Naruto... if you have to cry so be it... Don't let your emotions bottle up..." Kurenai gently hugged the distraught youth, him flinching at the touch as if... as if afraid he would taint her Kurenai realized.

"I almost hurt her... I... I almost snapped her neck sensei... I almost... killed Hinata-chan... I felt the need... the desire... to rip her apart... kill her... maim her... feel her blood flow... watch the life fade from her eyes... sensei I..."

Naruto slowly broke down crying in Kurenai's embrace. He cried for his birden, his curse, the hate he had endured, the pain he caused, his lost innocence, the lives he took, the lives he almost took.

Kurenai could only watch and hold Naruto as he cried in what seemed the first time since his birth (she really had no idea how close she was to that observation), holding the little boy, running her hands through his hair, calming him down with relaxing words, trying desperately to bring the smiling Naruto back.

Kakashi watched from a distance at the boy's mourning, hearing its soul-wrenching cries... and found himself wondering... how could a demon cry like this... how could he be a demon if he could shed tears like this... If only... if only the rest of the village knew as well... Kakashi sighed and turned around, looking at Zabuza's grim presence behind him.

"The brat's gonna be fine Hatake. He's got more strength in him than you can imagine. Heh I should know. I fought him."

"Fighting is not the same as this Zabuza. Then again you may never have been taught that in Kiri."

"Oh spare me the emotional talk Leaflet. I know him better than you can imagine. It is often said that you can learn more about someone in five minutes of all-out fighting than in five years of talking. I'm telling ya, don't count the brat out yet. You didn't see him. You didn't see his eyes as we fought, didn't see the sheer determination _burning_ inside them. Heck I've got half a mind to follow your Will Of Fire thing after seeing him. This gaki's tough, maybe tougher than me. He'll be fine. Maybe not like before, but he'll pull through."

"Hn, maybe he'll survive but surviving and living are two different things Zabuza."

"Oh how much faith you have cyclops. I'm telling ya, the brat may change a bit but he'll be fine. He's as pure as Haku and that's more than I can say about either of us. Now stop eavesdropping and oggling red-eyes over there."

"Whatever. I gotta check on Sasuke. Your apprentice did a number on him."

"Feh as if. She just put him in a death-trance. He'll be fine in a week."

"I find that hard to believe. I still do not trust you. I'll be keeping an eye out for you in case you switch loyalties again." Kakashi considering the conversation done went back to the house, missing Zabuza's retort.

"Switch to what side moron. Besides, following the brat there seems like a lot of fun. Now I just have to see how it turns out."

Meanwhile Naruto cried his eyes out, exhausting the meager reserves of energy he had recovered, slowly falling asleep.

Kurenai picked up the exhausted Naruto up and carried him over to the house. In the entrance Zabuza turned to her.

"I'm no good at the mushy stuff, so I'll keep out of it. Just make sure the brat is back, he's one of the few to have earned my respect and I'm not talking power."

"Arigatou Zabuza-san. I didn't know you cared. Doesn't seem to agree with your bloodthirsty profile."

"Hey I'm not a killer 24/7. I got a kinder side, well sorta. Just keep'im safe and I'll be at your side. See ya tomorrow red-eyes."

Kurenai uncharacteristically blushed as Zabuza brushed past her, his cool and collected demeanor a sharp contrast to the usually brash-looking nuke-nin. After Kurenai put Naruto to sleep, she went to her own room to sleep.

In the morning, Naruto woke up early on and left to gather supplies. Grabbing a heavy rock, he dived in the lake, his evolved lungs keeping him oxygenated for minutes and used a makeshift spear to catch some fish for breakfast. Coming back to the client's house, he was treated to a glomp by a worried haflway to death Hinata and a scolding from Kurenai. After assuring her he was fine, he brought in the food for the family. All seemed relatively normal but if one cared enough, he could notice several differences; Shino would continuously steal glances at Haku, Naruto seemed to be avoiding Hinata and Kurenai would continuously refuse to look in Zabuza's way. The morning proceeded fairly normally, even though Sasuke was still out for the count and had Sakura serve as a nurse, refusing Haku or Hinata from taking care of him in fears of stealing him away from her and Naruto got to ask his favours from the jounin.

From Kakashi he asked to get a book of even more advanced seals, specifically the _'Treatise on Arrays and Seals For The Experienced _by Namikaze Minato_'_, a rare and precious work, with only a pair or so copies still in existence. From Zabuza... he gained the exact thing the man would have asked of the kid; a life-time sparring partner. Stating that Zabuza was a much better sparring partner than Kakashi, he got a hatefull glare from the Uchiha as he had wanted to steal Zabuza's jutsu. Kakashi had attempted to interrogate Naruto on the nature of his skills, once even to the point of threatening with rank.

"Naruto for the last time I demand you explain the skills you presented on the bridge. I want to know what jutsu you used as well as how you got the summons."

"Sheesh Kakashi-san, if I didn't know better I'd suspect you want me to give everything up Sasuke. Which is pretty much what you want me to do don't you? You are not my sensei and have no authorization over me. Deal with it."

"_Genin_ Uzumaki, you _will_ cooperate with me. I am a _jounin_ got it? Which means I do have superiority over you."

"But you don't have superiority over the _Hokage_ Kakashi. I'll tell you something though. The red chakra was Kyubi's, but its how the seal is supposed to act. It seems Sandaime-sama has not disclosed all information to you. The seal is made to enable me to access Kyubi's chakra in order to strengthen myself by entering a feral state no different from the Inuzuka clan." Naruto turned to leave but Kakashi grabbed him by the shoulder.

"Naruto you will comply by my commands damnit!"

"Hatake... I suggest retrieving your arm or I will take it off. Go to you boy-toy and leave me alone. I assure you Hokage-sama knows everything about me and if anything about what happened in the bridge comes out of you, my team, Zabuza and Haku, I assure you, Hokage-sama is going to destroy you. And don't even _bother_ thinking about the faggots of the council. I obey neither them not you. You are all unworthy of my legacy. Now buzz off Hatake before I rip you apart. You were nothing before Zabuza without you sharingan and I am immune to it."

"What do you mean Naruto?"

"Uzumaki to you Hatake. And I mean what I said. Now _let go._"

"Naruto I-" Naruto turned with speeds that Kakashi's non-sharingan eye couldn't see and grabbed the jounin from the neck lifting him from the ground.

_Growl_ "So weak and slow. I'm glad I picked Zabuza as my sparring partner, I would be unable to go all out against you." With a _thump_ Kakashi's feet met the ground.

"Naruto this was insubordination and-"

"You commited insubordination first by restraining a shinobi in an A-rank mission as well as treason for reasons I won't bother to mention. Leave me alone Hatake, otherwise you may have a... how do they call it? Ah a _training accident_. After all I am the prankster king and you have no idea how good I really am. Besides it seems you have gathered quite the attention from Zabuza-san and Kurenai-sensei."

"This isn't over Uzumaki."

"Heh it will be over by the Chuunin exams and you'll be begging for my forgiveness Hatake. For now go train the looser you consider a genius."

Kakashi growled before leaving to train Sasuke in the use of the Sharingan. Naruto on the other hand gathered the rest of his team, set up a defencive periemeter and together with Kiba, they started analyzing everything, from tactics to imaginary situations in an attempt to continue improving even when they couldn't work out in a physical manner. Especially Haku's and Zabuza's experiences proved beneficial, since being nuke-nin they had come across some very weird situations. One of the cnversations was about Naruto's backlash from the red energy of the Kyubi (Kiba was let in on that shortly after they met, him declaring his faith in his packmate, even if he smelt like fox).

"So Naruto-kun we have to understand what happened after you stopped using the Kyubi's youkai. I suspect your body resumed breaking down."

"Exactly. With Kyubi's youkai acting as a corrosive effect on my body, my DNA kept on breaking down on me. Of course my regenerative abilities attepted to fix it, but they were hampered by the sheer speed of the breaking down. The reason I needed flesh and blood is simple; I needed to replace mine. Since mine had been corrupted, I had to replace my flesh, blood and bones with new tissues to survive. Of course my kekkei-genkai improved my resistance to Kyubi's youkai but let me explain what we found out. There is a threshold, like a dam, if the amount is below that threshold, the dam makes sure I have no harmful effects. However the more I use, the more the dam is stressed. Once the youkai reaches a certain amount...the dam breaks and unleashes the whole amount of it on me. Also except for said dam I have no defence against youkai. In other words, if I pass the threshold... the full force of the youkai hits me as if it had hit any other human. And because of my already unstable DNA things get even worse. I had Kyu take notice on how much I used as well as approximate the backlash of every amount. He believes if I find experienced enough medics, I should be able to safely increase the strength of the dam so that I can safely call on a large amount of youkai without a problem. The snag is... that the only medics with that much of a medical knowledges are... Tsunade-sama and her apprentice as well as the fact that there is a large chance exposing me to Kyubi's youkai will shorten my lifespan considerably and kill me regardless of precautions. On the bright side, we now know what happens in such cases, so I'm going to start carrying fresh meat and blood supplies with us just in case something like this happens."

As Zabuza got Kiba and Shino started on a variety of possibilities, Kurenai spoke to Hinata for a second before the blue-haired Hyuga heiress went to Naruto drawing him apart from the others.

"Naruto-kun what's wrong? You've been avoiding me. What's wrong?"

"It's... its's nothing."

"No way its nothing Naruto-kun. You barely even speak to me. Did I do something to hurt you?"

"NO! You didn't do anything like that. You... are perfect... I am the fault of the equasion. I am the one who's responcible..."

"Naruto-kun, talk to me. Please... What's wrong? I know you're-"

"I am! I am... I am a monster Hinata... I..."

"What are you talking about Naruto-kun? What monster? You are the kindest-"

"I'm not! I'm not... I want to be... I try so hard but... Hinata... I almost hurt you... I can't... I can't forgive myself of that."

"What are you talking about Naruto-kun? You'd never hurt me. I know it."

"When... when I woke up... I... I almost killed you... when I picked you up... I had that damnable urge to kill you, hurt you... I... I don't want to do this... I can't-" And Naruto's self-pitying tirade was stopped by one of the greatest forces known to man; a simple, chaste kiss. Poor Naruto blinked and blinked, his brain, no matter how evolved, trying in vain to catch up to the fact Hinata had shut him up with a kiss.

"Naruto-kun, I never thought I'd see you like this. What are you doing wallowing in self-pity? You didn't hurt me and that's all that matters. No matter what you felt, no matter what dark urges that damable youkai put into you, you couldn't hurt me. The mere fact you're like this is proof. So stop acting like that and open your eyes. Be the Naruto-kun you really are, the Naruto-kun I... love..."

Finally, Naruto's brain started working and after Hinata's rebuttal, rebooted itself. Naruto broke into one of his rare true semi-sad, semi-happy, lopsidded smiles, his eyes holding love and affection to his pale-eyed saviour.

"Thanks Hinata-chan for reminding me what I am. I promise I will never hurt you or turn my back from you. That is a promise of a lifetime and I don't go back on my promises because-"

"-that is our nindo Naruto-kun. Not just yours, but mine as well." Hinata's soft smile brightened Naruto's day and he got a slightly teasing grin.

"I don't think I really felt that kiss though Hinata-chan. Mind repeating?" Poor Hinata, got her shyness back and blushed before kissing her love one more time on the lips.

Naruto held his angel, yes his angel, his ray of light in a dark, hateful world. He felt his resolve reform, stronger than ever before and Kyubi in his not-so-much of a prison could see the dieing trees come back to life and noted something different; the trees were of a kind that never shed their leaves. The ancient being chuckled, this ningen, this mere child, not larger than his smallest tooth, had more determination and willpower than anything else he had seen or felt before, greater even than the brat's father, who was willing to sacrifice his soul to eternal torture. Number 1 most surprising ninja indeed...

The rest of the days passed in relative peace, if you took out Sasuke... asking for everyone's jutsu, fighting styles, Zabuza's weapons... you get the idea. It was not asking, it was a repeated spam of the all-so-well-known and patented Uchiha Speech Of Superiority, to be repeated until either someone gave into the demands, or what was repeatedly happening in Nami no Kuni; someone beating Sasuke to oblivion, forcing Kakashi to slap his wrists and then heal the prick, under the oh-so-delightfull opera-like screaming of a certain pink-haired banshee that, for some weird reason believed Haku liked Sasuke and Naruto liked her. Even the stoic Shino had taken steps to tone her screaming down as much as possible, namely by having some of his bugs inject a weak but effective sleeping poison to keep her silent throughout the morning. Poor fangirl never figured out why she woke up at 12 (after everyone had woken up enough to not accidentaly stab her or something) or why she was so tired every day.

It was to Kiba's continued dismay that he had to get back to his regular team after Sasuke recovered enough to train (before Zabuza beat the living shit out of the prick for demanding Kubikiri Honcho as well as Haku to be given to him as a concubine to strengthen the Uchiha clan). Kakashi had Sasuke activate his Sharingan and copy jutsu Kakashi performed in front of him. Unbeknownst to the two copycats though, there was a third copycat with them. Or many as Naruto had unleashed a veritable blanket of Kage Bunshin, using the info from the clones to break down and recreate the jutsu. He had Kyubi memorize the knowledge so he could easily re-form the jutsu back home. Sasuke never figured why Naruto seemed so damn smug all the time when he and Kakashi left for their 'secret' training. Shino spent as much time as he could with Haku without drawing attention, going to near paranoid lengths to hide his attraction, as if it was something that should not be. Kurenai on the other hand finally had a glorious night, the night before leaving. She just came inside the house and hugged Naruto saying she 'did it' with an exuberant tone. Her team, Haku and Zabuza who knew what she meant congratulated her, while Kakashi immidiately went to believing she had done something perverted. For his trouble he got his Icha-Icha book torn apart by an irate Kurenai when he commented in a perverse way. Of course it didn't slow Kakashi much as he took out another book from his Pouch Of Holding (D'n'D pun intended) and just glared at her, which did absolutely nothing to her.

It had finally been a couple of weeks after Sasuke's recovery, during which Kiba got ten times the training he had got with Kakashi in total. Naruto had finally learned how to fight properly with his newfound power thanks to Zabuza as well as train his jutsu against such a capable shinobi. Kurenai was well on her way to learning her first Kitsune Illusion, a cunning ability that would draw her opponents towards her strikes, making her seemingly never miss. Hinata had spent a lot of time with Zabuza as well, training her suiton manipulation learning one of the best jutsu for her: Kirigakure no Jutsu, making a mist that would blind everyone except her due to her Byakugan. Haku and Shino often sparred together, improving both their skills in combat and ninjutsu. Haku had, under the pressure from the entire Team 8, succumbed to picking up a weapon, going after her adopted father's, even if it was only in her heart, weapon; a sword. Of course with her being a girl she wouldn't use a zanbatou, but a katana was well suited to her considering the fact she could slash her enemies many times by merely holding the blade to her side and jumping from mirror to mirror of her Makyo Hyosho.

As the two teams plus two new shinobi were preparing to leave, it was a tearfull goodbye between team 8 and Inari, who had finally began to resemble his namesake (Prince Inari is a foxy deity and is supposed to be fairly laidback and happy from what I've gathered). Poor boy made the entire team promise to go back and see them all again. Of course the fact that team 7 didn't even get mentioned didn't seat well with the ever arrogant Sasuke and his lapdog Sakura or their sensei Kakashi, but when Kiba of all people scolded them on how foolish it was trying to push people to liking them, they sobered up. After all it wouldn't pay for the dog-boy to be wiser than them. As the two teams walked off the now completed bridge (which had been completed rather quickly with Naruto's and Zabuza's clones helping), Inari dashed towards them shouting.

"Naruto-niisan! Guess what! We named it the Bridge Of Hope! Because you and your friends gave us Hope! Thanks Niisans and Neechans!"

Team 8 laughed as they sped forth, bursting on a spontaneous mock-competition of speed, which ended having Naruto carry Hinata bridal-style, wings spread out and poor Shino trying in vain to conceal his excitement at being close to his friends. Needless to say Kurenai and Haku (who had understood a couple of things about Shino) poked fun at the stoic boy, which of course he never really objected to.

**A/N: Wahoo~! This one got out fast! I swear I'm hopeless! I can't for the life of me write anything under normal circumstances; I have to either have a headache, insomnia, be sick or slightly inebriated to write something of worth. Ah well each to his own craziness I guess.**

**Anyway some notes for this rather emotional chapter: **

**1) Kakashi doesn't know that Naruto is Yondaime's son nor the real function of the seal nor the details as to what happened when Naruto was 8. As such he maintains a shinobi aspect; he considers Naruto a risk, a necessary one yes but a risk none-the-less. That's why he will keep pushing for answers and not trust him because it could be a very logical assumption for Naruto to be affected by the Kyubi, maybe even Kami-forbid, Kyubi overtaking Naruto completely and tricking everyone. He believes this is a possibility because he had almost no contact with Naruto so keep that in mind. He isn't being unreasonable in this regard, merely paranoid, as he has been taught to be. On the matter of Sasuke though, Kakashi is unreasonable. He believes that he has to help him because of Obito as well as because Sasuke is the only one that can take out Itachi. With him having a Sharingan eye, he knows of its power but has come to depend on it so much that without it he has deteriorated to the level of a mere chuunin, which led to Naruto humiliating him. So in his warped belief, if one sharingan eye gives him so much strength, then a pure-blood Uchiha would be unstoppable. Lastly, even though he knows Sasuke is a bit weird, he still vehemently follows most of the village's belief that Sasuke is completely loyal and merely a bit dark due to the tragedies in his life.**

**2)Zabuza may be a blood-thirsty killer but he is no monster. He does have feelings for Haku, but being raised as a weapon himself, he has the same problem Naruto used to- he doesn't know what exactly feelings are nor how to identify them. Zabuza sees Haku as his daughter or little sister, he just doesn't know it. With Haku's troubled past on top of it, he has never come in contact with the feeling of love and care. Therefore, he constantly reverts to what he knows; no emotions, just his duty and his skills. He doesn't like it, but he doesn't know why, which is why he doesn't fight against it so much. When Hinata and Haku confronted him however, he began to understand that there is something more to existence than duty and cold-heared killing. Lastly Zabuza respects Naruto a lot. While he still considers him inexperienced and a little naive, Zabuza respects Naruto's strength of arms and strength of conviction. In Naruto he sees a childhood hero, someone who, while strong, does not hate the world or seek to oppress it. No, Zabuza knows he would respect Naruto even if he couldn't defeat him on the bridge, he would respect the courage and determination of that child, the strength of character to keep going even when the entire world is stacked against you. That's why Zabuza is eager to help Naruto. Not to mention that Naruto can make an excellent sparring partner; he can match Zabuza physically, can take a lot of punishment and is a cunning little brat.**

**3) Kurenai isn't in love with Zabuza -yet. She finds him interesting, a dark, slightly mysterious person, who seems to hide a lot of emotion in a dark exterior. She blushed because, even though it is not immidiately obvious, Zabuza has a lot of muscle to wield that zanbatou and she accidentaly felt him up. Whether I will pair Zabuza with Kurenai or maybe even Anko, I am not sure yet. It remains to be seen, possibly on a later poll or something. I wanna finish this poll first. Kurenai's Kitsune Illusion is called Nisemono-Kobushi (fake punch) and as written causes the enemy to get drawn to her punches. In easy terms, if you have to dodge left when she attacks you, you will dodge to the right, getting right into the path of her hit. Now imagine that with a Kunai or ninja-tou and you get one very nasty ability, considering it is almost impossible to cancel, even for sharingan users.**

**Thanks to my reviewers for giving me strength to continue as well as correct my mistakes and everyone who has voted on my poll. It will stay on for two weeks from posting this chapter so hurry up ok?  
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**Today, on this 9/6/2012, I, Soulblazer87, do hereby leave this site, possibly forever.**

**I shall not update this, or any other story.**

**I shall leave them on, however. Should you desire to follow my stories, do so in my new site of residence: www dot yourfanfiction dot com.**


	10. Chapter 10

_Chapter 10: Halcyon Days_

By the time Team 7 had reached Konoha, Team 8, Zabuza and Haku had been already debriefed. Naruto, knowing that Zabuza was a nuke-nin, used the Namikaze clan accounts to pay for their release from duty. Haku and Zabuza were given some money as well, to buy a home and live in peace, even thouth they were going to be watched for some time, just to be sure. Currently Team F.E.A.R. plus two were in their favourite training ground.

"So brat you're telling me that my Kubikiri-Honcho is WEAK? I've massacred villages for less!"

"Of course not. I'm saying it can be improved. If you let me use some seals on it..."

"My blade is not your damn toy brat!"

"I know damnit! I'm trying to help you! I really think I made a breakthrough with my seals!"

"N-Naruto-kun, w-what do you m-mean by breakthrough?"

"Well you all know Yondaime was my old man right? Well in his treatise here he had left open a wide variety of questions, ideas and possibilities. One of them was elemental seals. Its like this; ninjutsu seals can be put on written seals, which is how explosive notes are made. But its a lost art, 'cause its very hard to actually do and it takes too much time normally. I think that I kind of rediscovered it though. If I'm right I should be able to place a seal that takes any chakra you push into it and makes it elemental chakra. Of course the only one I've tried making is Fuuton chakra, as its my specialty but you get the point. It was almost complete really. I just added the finishing touches."

"So what's your little seal gonna do?"

"Well it should give you increased reach, better edge and keep stuff off your blade. Just like if you were a Fuuton user. Also I wanna use my improved storage seal."

"Another seal? Damnit brat when did you get the time for that crap?"

"Kage Bunshin multitasking hehehe. Anyway, you know how normally when you seal something and want it out it comes all out right? So if you were to say, seal some water, releasing it, would bring the whole quantity back. My improved seal fixes that. Simply put, it allows you to store more but only retrieve as much as you want. If you were to put say 20 galons, you can retrieve only the five you want instead of the entire 20 galons. If I put this on your blade you won't have to be near a water source to use Suiton jutsu. Plus think of how badass it will look like, sending a Suiryudan from your blade!"

*Grumble about sword not being weak*

"Aww come on Zabuza! I'll even add some reinforcement, sharpening and cleaning seals on top! No more sword-maintenance duty!"

"Alright kid. I'll let ya play with my sword. BUT! If you so much as scratch it..."

"No worries Zabuza. I'll also use one of dad's jutsu I completed. It allows me to disguise a seal as a mere tattoo, making it harder to read as a bonus. How does a swirling dragon pattern with an Oni figure riding on the top sound? With a huge-ass sword in hand? It'll be awesome!"

"Just get it over fast brat! I can't spar with you without my sword!"

"Alright already I'm off! Jeeze! Don't ya worry though, I'm taking care of this personally, no clones this time. I am not risking it." Naruto after, giddily, picking up Zabuza's zanbatou, left to start on the seal-inscribing process, he left some Kage-bunshin keep on learning while he was away.

Zabuza, without his sword, spent the entire day teaching Hinata about his silent killing style. After all it wouldn't be smart to make sound inside a mist. Meanwhile Shino was busy thinking about Haku. He had almost slipped up and called her -chan once. What was wrong with him. Shino sighed. Turning to Kurenai-sensei, he saw teaching Haku some basic genjutsu to supplement her style, such as Genjutsu: Heki-Bunshin (Illusion: Weapon clone, it makes illusionary copies of a thrown weapon, easily hiding where the real one is going to hit, causing enemies to not only grossly miscalculate, but to also believe their enemy is much stronger than it should be). Shino was at an impass. He felt weird when close to the kunoichi, as if his coat was a bit too warm and got this annoying urge to just look at her and smile. He really, _really_, needed to find out more but for some blasted reason hesitated talking to his parents. Poor boy could make neither heads nor tails of his condition. So he resolved to ask his team when he got the chance. There should be a perfectly logical explanation about this.

Meanwhile Naruto went to his 'Little Workshop Of Horrors' as he loved to call it. It was nothing much really, just a room in his apartment. It had a nice view of Konoha and the Hokage Monument, a big desk, a library and lots and _lots_ of papers with Naruto's crazy ideas. Naruto placed the huge blade on the desk and gathered his supplies. After a breath to steady himself, Naruto started his work. He had practiced his seals hundreds of times and now it was time to put them to use. With great care, he prepared the ink and brush and in reverence started scribing the seals. Hours upon hours, Naruto worked painstakingly slow in order to not make the slightest mistake. Sure the seals were within his skills, but the tiniest mistake could destroy the whole thing. A few hours later, Naruto used his father jutsu to conceal the seals, turning them into a stylized japanese-styled dragon with an Oni figure on the top of the head, wielding a weapon looking mysteriously like Kubikiri Honcho. His work done, Naruto let the ink dry properly, cleaned up his desk and wrapped the huge Zanbatou with bandages so noone would see the seals. Slinging the weapon on his back, Naruto left for the training grounds.

Naruto arrived in the training grounds to see a fogged area 'Probably Hinata-chan and Zabuza' and Haku's trademarked Makyo Hyosho with a few hundred too many senbon flying around. Naruto lifted an eyebrow at it. Maybe he should have Haku meet up with Tenten as they both seemed to enjoy throwing lots of sharp, pointy objects. Not to mention poor Tenten would love to meet a real kunoichi as opposed to all these damn fangirls like Sakura and Ino. As he approached, Shino appeared next to him, his face as always unreadable.

"Naruto, I would like to talk to you privately after today's training is done if you don't mind."

"Sure, why not. Lemme just get this to No-brows and then we can spar for a bit. Oi no-brows! Get over here teme! I got it done!"

Zabuza came out of the mist, Hinata in tow, and marched over to the blonde.

"Finally you brat! You sure took your sweet time!"

"Gomen Zabuza but I had to be sure it's perfect. One seal wrong could take down the entire thing. Anyway its done, here you go." Naruto took the Zanbatou from his back and gave it to Zabuza, who slowly unwrapped it. With a critical eye he looked at the inscription on the sides.

"Well the inscription is nice and I don't see the seals. You said the inscription would hide them right? Anyway how does this new trick work?"

"Alright see that big boulder? Normally you either can't cut it or it takes way too darn much strength to do it right? Now if you check the hilt you'll see there is a seal with the Kaze kanji. Push some chakra into it and control it so it forms around the blade, like a coccoon. Make sure the 'business end' is as sharp as you can. After that just swing away at the rock."

Zabuza complied, taking some seconds to focus the chakra properly, because even though the seals did most of the work for him, he didn't know anything about fuuton manipulation. After the coccoon was formed, Zabuza looked at it. A blue aura covered it and extended the blade by about 30cm. He swung the blade vertically on the boulder and half-expected it to bounce off. To his immense joy however the blade cut through 50cm of the rock without slowing down. Ripping his blade off the rock he noticed that the chakra extension had also cut through the rock. Zabuza whistled.

"Now that's impressive gaki."

"Nope not really. Not comparing to what you could do if you mastered that." Naruto gave a feral grin "What you did was actually pathetic for a fuuton user, but you're a suiton user, making it rather impressive. Of course my seals did most of the work for you. Anyway it took you too long and didn't cut nearly as much as it should. If I had done it, it would have cut cleanly through the rock and stabbed hilt-deep into the ground. It's just a matter of practice though, since you know nothing about fuuton. I'll teach ya a few things though if you want. I'm sure you'll enjoy them. Besides, if you master fuuton chakra you'll be able to 'detach' the chakra blade from your sword and send it flying to any poor bastard around you. So what do you think? Are my seals awesome or what?"

"I admit it kid, you're one heck of a seal user. Anyway, I gotta go back to teaching moon-eyes here. Her excercice is not over yet." Naruto nodded as Hinata and Zabuza went back to their training. It was mainly training HInata to be able to maintain the Kirigakure no Jutsu while attacking at the same time. She was capable of it, but the chakra required for it was rather steep for the Kunoichi, since she'd also have to maintain enough chakra for her Byakugan. It really was hard for her, but every time she broke her previous record, even if for a second, it made her feel better and better.

Naruto went to Shino and the two got ready for a spar. Shino had yet to spar against Naruto's bladed arms, but he had looked at it enough to get a feel for his style. Still, knowing Naruto's... unpredictability, Shino maintained an extremely cautious approach, since Naruto was known to improvise and use attacks noone was prepared for. The two boys spent a good time sparring, with Naruto winning 6 - 4 against Shino, though both knew Naruto was holding back his full strength and speed. To him, it was't a spar to check how strong or fast he was, but instead how good his blade expertise was.

After they were done Shino dragged Naruto away from the rest in order to speak to him privately.

"Naruto lately there seems to be a problem with me and I do not know to whom else I should turn to."

"Oh? And what's that problem? You know I'll do anything to help you people."

"Ever since I first met Haku, I've felt... different. I am happier around her and when I saw you on her lap back when you were cleansing Kyubi's chakra, even though you were there so she could hold you still, I felt slightly jealous. I cannot explain it, so I need your help."

Naruto sighed before answering. "Shino it is not unnatural. What you're experiencing is called love. You my friend like Haku. And not like a friend either. Instead of running away from your emotions, I think you should embrace them really. However, you shouldn't rush in and tell Haku you like her. You need to scout out about it first. See if she likes you, as well as figure out if you really like her or are simply crushing on her."

"What do you mean Naruto? My clan never was shy on the matter of mating but they never went in depth with courting rituals."

"Baka there are no courting rituals. See if she blushes around you, or if she looks at you more than normal or if she smiles a lot when you're around or if she wants to be around you. Telling true love apart from a mere crush is harder, but I'm sure you'll be able to find the differences. However I must warn you Shino. Do not despair if she doesn't return your feelings. She may develop them later but you shouldn't push her. Even if she doesn't like you now, she could like you later ok? Don't rush it. Also it might be a good thing to speak to Hinata-chan as well. She is after all much more experienced in romance than me."

"I see. It is quite complicated but still thank you Naruto."

"Meh don't thank me yet, just my opinion on the matter really. Anyway I was thinking, since my experiment with Zabuza's blade was a success, I should make such improvements on the entire team's weaponry. Your kama will take easy to the wind blade array, but I gotta use something else for Hinata-chan. I'll try completing the rest of the elemental arrays as well as my dad's other seals. I want to see how it all develops and then we'll go to the Chuunin exams fully prepared."

"I see. Improved weaponry would drastically increase our survival chances in the field as well as provide us with alternate means of combat. I'm guessing you're aiming to become a seal master in your own right?"

"Yeah. Pops was a seal master that could imprison the Kyubi. If I can surpass him I might find a way to safely have him out temporarily. Ah well even if I never get that, I can always use this knowledge to help my friends. So its win-win for me. Besides, I like fuuinjutsu. Its fun."

With their spars and talks finished Naruto and Shino walked up to the rest of the team.

"Alright no-brows, time to get you your water jutsu working. Go to the lake over there, stab it inside and use chakra to seal it inside. Again push your chakra through the 'Seal' kanji on the hilt."

Zabuza complied and his sword seemed to suck up a large amount of water from the lake. When done, Zabuza turned to Naruto.

"So now what? You said Suiryudan jutsu through my blade and I'm holding you to it."

"Yeah I know, but that's gonna take some practice. For now just use the handseals, but make sure the chakra flows through the storage seal on the hilt. I'd stab the blade to the ground while sealing, at least until you perfect this that is."

Zabuza used the forty-something handseals for Suiton:Suiryudan No Jutsu (Water Style: Water Dragon Blast Technique), grabbed the hilt of his blade, while it was still on the ground and pushed the chakra inside. The tip of the blade glowed a chakra blue, before the ground around the blade exploded by the water surging from underneath and a dragon shaped mass of water seemed to erupt from the ground. Zabuza looked at Naruto, who gulped, right before the blonde got a shower of ice-cold water.

Naruto came up from the lake he was thrown in sputtering and cursing, while his team and the two former missing ninja laughed at him. Naruto managed to pout three whole seconds before Hinata gave him a little peck to his cheek, immidiately fixing him up. Of course that caused even more laughter for the group.

Later on as Naruto was trying to complete his father's seals, he felt so proud of his father. The man was a genious. Naruto was sure that given time he would have been able to devise a way to seal Kyubi without dieing. Well he was his son, which meant he had to complete his legacy. Naruto chuckled, it was ironic really. Returning back to his work he finished the seals to the point where he needed one thing only. Knowledge of how the chakra flowed. Naruto sighed and leaned back on his chair. It was time to go visit his adopted sister, Anko. After that who knew? Naruto rarely planned ahead. Getting up, Naruto got properly dressed, since he liked being in his pajamas while in his house, before going out.

A few minutes later, Naruto found Anko, where else, in her favourite dango stand. After greeting his friend, he sat down ordering some dango for himself.

"So what do ya want brat?"

"Well you know I'm a fuuton user right? Well I need your help learning how to use katon and raiton. I know you're a katon user and maybe you know a raiton one."

"Alright brat I'll help ya but you need to buy me some dango and sake. I'll get ya your raiton user later though."

"Thanks Anko-nee. By the way I hope you're not talking about that idiotic pervert Hatake right?"

"What him? No way. How did you get to know that jerk?"

"Long story, I'll tell ya at the training grounds later. Less chances of you actually castrating him really."

Many dango sticks, sake bottles, burns and spent chakra later, Naruto was at his team's training grounds, trying in vain to stop Anko from killing a certain one-eyed jounin.

"Lemme go damnit! I'll beat him up! I'll castrate him! I'll shove Manda up his ass! I'll *censored* and *censored* and *even more cencored*!" (Really I ran out of ideas of what Anko could do to poor Kaka-hentai)

"Jeeze calm down will ya Anko? Sheesh! You're acting as if you don't know me!"

"What do ya mean brat?"

"Anko did you foget you were the one I spent the most time with after that night? I've picked up quite a few things from you. Vengeance is one of them."

"So what are you going to do to that perv that I can't do? Huh?"

"Simple." *evil grin* "I'll tell him who I really am."

"Ooooh now that sounds fun? When when? I wanna bring my camera!"

"Hehehe at the Chuunin exams. The idiot thinks his Uchiha inbred prodigy will be ready for them. I'll just prove them all wrong."

Anko gave her outouto a noogie, before having him continue his Katon manipulation excercises. It was well into the night before Naruto started getting it, even with a dozen or so Kage Bunshins helping him. The pair broke up after Anko gave him a list of things to do the next day.

This was pretty much the team's schedule for a week. Meet up, train, get a D-rank mission, train some more, lunch, train even more and meet up the next day. It was real tiring but Naruto had finally manged to complete a few more of his father's possible arrays. Now Naruto had been working on getting a feel for Hyoton by Haku, since he wanted a freezing array in the mix as well. Shino for his part had managed to talk to his parents and Hinata about Haku, but the poor boy couldn't muster the courage to tell her, other than that he trained his taijutsu, Kama and bug jutsu as he never had enough chakra to specialize in ninjutsu or genjutsu. Hinata for her part had been working on a number of things, like her Tonfa, her Jyuken and her Iryo-jutsu trying to balance out her team properly. She had decided to start up on Genjutsu as well at some point but for now she had other things to learn first.

It was a few weeks later when Naruto gathered his team and showed them a book. At their subsequent questions he answered; "This is my seal collection. Each and every seal and array I've come across analyzed and categorized in here. Now the reason I got it here is to tell you that I've finally completed my elemental arrays, well apart from the freezing one, but that's really hard considering its a bloodline ability and I can't get a feel for it. Anyway, since I've completed them I thought I should show them to you so we can upgrade our equipment." The group looked at him with pride, they were damn proud to have such a young seal master in their team, even if he lacked a bit in years.

"Alright Hinata-chan, we need to change your tonfa. Wooden tonfa are good for starters but I think you can handle metallic ones. Now I'll improve them with a water storage seal and an shocking array. A chakra channeling seal will make sure you can Jyuken your enemies to death even with tonfa and I'll also add a chakra storage array. These ones were really hard, thankfully dad had almost finished them, but they are great for you. They let you store an amount of chakra for later use, like a hyorongan, but without the pain. I'll also add storage seals for a pair of blades on your tonfa, in case you are forced to take a life, even though I know you abhor it. Some reinforcement and maintenance seals will finish your weapon ok?"

"Hai Naruto-kun. I wish I d-didn't have to k-kill, but I m-may have to."

"Alright next up is Shino. For you I'll add my wind blade array like I did for Zabuza as well as chakra storage seals. This way you'll be able to use a couple of ninjutsu if you're in a tight spot. Lastly I'll use a chakra tracing seal connected to your glasses. It'll let you track any enemy by marking them with a bit of your own chakra so they will never be able to hide, which considering your kikai-chu will be rather lethal. I really don't know how else to improve them really but any idea is welcome. If you want I can place a storage seal on your coat for easier transportation."

"I see. That will be sufficient Naruto, I thank you."

"Now let's see, I got some ideas for you Kurenai-sense, like a magnetic shield to protect you from all things metallic, as well as a prototype flight array consisting of artificial wings with wind seals on them, but its still experimental. I could use some chakra storage seals on an amulet or something though, since being a genjutsu specialist usually means having little in amount of chakra. Oh and since Anko-nee is here I'll get down to hers as well. Alright here's what I've got planned for you. I'll replace your gauntlets with new ones carrying storage seals for wrist mounted blades as well as a variety of small things from smokebombs to poisons and explosives. On the underside will be the storage for the real weapons though. Don't worry I've already bought them and I'm sure you'll love 'em. Anyway I'm going to add a multitude of advanced storage seals for poisons on top of the blade, so you'll be able to poison your daggers in the midst of combat. A pair of shocking and wind blade arrays for the times you just have to go berserk on an idiot as well as chakra storing seals to make sure you can keep going. So what do you think?"

Kurenai was first to answer, saying she'd like the planned seals since they would help her in melee, while Anko grabbed Naruto and started constricting him in her, rather generous, bosom. It lasted all of five seconds before Anko released him. Hinata never looked so terrifying before... Anko chuckled nervously a bit before backing off.

Now with the added help of the Snake Charmer, team F.E.A.R. went deep into their training. The exams were coming soon and they had to be ready for them. Naruto looked to the sky. 'Mom, dad, would you be proud of me? Sometimes I wonder... what should I do? Guess I'll go with the flow. Just like you did.' Naruto remembered a talk he had with Anko a few months back.

Flashback - 3 months ago

_Anko and Naruto were sitting on a tree, enjoying some dango. Even Naruto had to eat something other than ramen or meat once in a while and it was as good a food as any._

_"Ne, Anko, what's that seal on your neck anyway? Kyu says it stinks of snake and corruption."_

_Anko glanced at Naruto and attempted to change the conversation. "Maa Naru-chan, its nothing. Just a memento. Anyway how's life treating you lately?"_

_"Good but you haven't answered. What the heck is that seal?"_

_"You won't let it go will you?" _Sigh _"Very well, if you must know it's a gift. From my old _sensei_. Fucking bastard marked me with something that screwed me up royally. Hurts from time to time, eats up my chakra, messes my control and worst of it, binds me to that bastard."_

_"Can I see it Anko-nee? Maybe Kyu can help or something."_

_"Whatever... Do as you like."_

_Naruto took a long hard look on the seal, probing it with a variety of seal-related jutsu before stopping._

_"Damn this seal's the work of an idiot savant. It's bound to your coils, constantly trying to overcome your chakra. You subconsciously form a shell of chakra around it in order to protect yourself. Also it sends chakra signals to your brain from what I saw. Kyu said it reminds him of a mating mark, just altered so it can also affect your body. Looks like Oro-teme got his hands on quite a few things to make this piece of work. Wouldn't surprise me if that traitor Manda gave him a hand as well. There might be a way to undo it but... its hard."_

_"Eh? Undo it? What do I have to do?"_

_"Unfortunately you can't do anything about it. And even with our idea, its still a gamble. In the ancient laws, if a male defeats another male, he can lay claim to the defeated's mates. In other words, someone would have to defeat Oro-teme to be able to remove that mark. But that's not all. Its quite possible the snake foresaw that and added a suicide seal, so in case he dies, you die as well. So someone must defeat Oro-teme without killing him, in other words going half-arsed against him. But that's not all. Damn hebi got his hands on some youkai. How I dunno but that's the corruption I sensed. Seems he mixed it with normal chakra creating a mix of the two. Now if he was a Jinchuuriki that mix would be an extremely potent human-like chakra. But he isn't so he doesn't mix it quite as well. Instead it posseses an immense amount of youkai in comparison to the amount of human chakra, making it a very potent,corrosive and unstable mix. But here's the complication. Thanks to that youkai, you're somewhat of a jinchuuriki yourself. Do you know why a Jinchuuriki would die if you remove the demon? Its because by doing so, the jinchuuriki loses the demon's youkai unless the demon cares enough to leave a storage of it behind. Needless to say most don't. Because of that the jinchuuriki goes through a sort of withdrawal phase and dies. Very, very painfully too. Kyu said it should feel like a constant youkai overload and saying it hurts is the understatement of the decade. I experienced it once and it almost shattered my mind. Yeah I'm serious, it hurts that much. Now the problem with you is that even if I somehow break the seal, your body has become adjusted to the pedophile's corrupted chakra, which means you'll die if I remove it."_

_"Well... shit..."_

_"Yeah I know. However not everything's bad. You see, thankfully you have never activated it. In other words, you never sealed the deal with him or breaking it would be impossible. Kyu says your willpower is almsot as strong as mine and that's saying something. Anyway, demon's compliments aside, we need to find a way to break it. Now here's the biggest problem of all. Only I can defeat Oro-teme in order to free you. If anyone else does... you're screwed. Before going nuts about it here's why; you need youkai to survive. If the seal breaks, the youkai in it will disperse and you will die. So the one that breaks it must infuse you with his own youkai. Something that noone else has in this village. So in short, I gotta beat up Oro-teme, without killing him, analyze and break your seal and place a new one with youkai in its place. Just peachy ne? Good thing is that we found a way around marking you as my mate. I'll adopt you. Now before you scream, here's what will happen if it all goes according to plan. I'll share some of my blood with you, which considering what I've done, will transfer some of Kyubi's power into you. In essense you'll become a pseudo-jinchuuriki, just like all my children will be, only the law will consider you my sister. Good things will include access to Kyu's youkai as well as making it impossible for that jackass to mark you ever again."_

_"Well shit one more time. Damn snake is next to immortal. I should know. The teme is incredibly powerful, with immmense jutsu and the chakra to make use of them. Not to mention some jutsu that would make even Kyubi puke. You just can't beat him Naruto. Guess I'll be that bastard's 'mate' forever huh..."_

_"Like hell you are. Even if I'm not strong enough right now, I will become. And I'm gonna beat up that snake bastard for hurting my nee-chan. Noone hurts my family and lives! That's the promise of a lifetime. I'll free you from that bastard Anko. No matter what."_

_"Naruto... thanks but don't go dieing for me."_

_"Who said anything about dieing huh? Like hell I will. Besides its not like I'm gonna go at him right now. I gotta get stronger, much stronger in order to have a chance. Besides, waiting to build up your strength and ensure victory is not a shame. I will win. Heh its not like I have to kill the asshole or anything. I just gotta make him surrender or flee. If I can do that, then by the laws I win the bout and can claim you, freeing you from the bastard's clutches. So don't ya worry about me. I just have to make him believe I'm too strong for him."_

_"Naruto, please don't go killing yourself over me. If you do, who am I gonna share my dango with huh?"_

_"Bah I said I'm not gonna die. Its just that you'll have to wait a bit, but I _will_ free you. Kanarazu da (for certain)!" Naruto pumped his hands. Anko just looked at him with worry and a bit of hope. Kyubi just chuckled._

_The two could-be siblings finished their food and went back to training. Ever since that day Naruto thrust himself head first into his training regime. Noone messes with his family or friends. Noone. Not even Kami himself will save the poor bastard to hurt the few, so few prescious people in his life. As for Anko? She thrust herself into training as well. If her otouto (not that she ever called him that) ever went to fight Orochimaru, he'd need help both before and after the fight. Help she'll be there to deliver._

End Flashback

A few days later Naruto showed up with the results of his sealing. Hinata got a pair of perfectly balanced metallic tonfa, with inscriptions of waves and lightnings with the Kanji Raijin's Touch on striking end. Shino got his new Kama, a beautifully made pair, with inscriptions of a preying mantis in mid-strike as well as the Kanji for Mantis Blades on the start of the blade. On the butt of the wooden part he placed seals so that Shino could combine them in a single two bladed Kama weapon. The idea came when he thought how destructive it would be for shino to simply rotate them above his head while activating the wind blade seal. Also it made for an unorthodox but very effective weapon. Kurenai got a pendant with a ruby flower in the center. Naruto had decreed that testing his prototype flight system and magnetic seals would take more time than he had at the time, but he had to give something to his sensei so he settled for chakra storage seals on the pendant.

Poor boy though didn't miss Hinata's pout at the gift. She was the only one Naruto should be buying jewelry for damnit! The entire team laughed at Naruto's expence when he started sweating bullets at Hinata's glare.

Anko got a new set of bracers and shin guards. They had coiling snake depictions but Naruto had taken great care in making them look noble rather than slimy. The shin guards were outfitted with an assortment of protective seals as well as a few hidden surprises here and there, like a few kunai and explosives in storage seals. The bracers were the peak of it though and a point of pride for the seal master. They had numerous storage seals, that let Anko carry enough firepower on her to take down a small battalion. Another storage seal hid a pair of wrist mounted blades for quick assassinations. But the pride of Naruto was something many seal users never could do; a storage seal inside a storage seal. He had managed to place the entire thing inside a simple looking wrist band that could be hidden by anything. Of course Anko's main dish were her new blades. A pair of slender curved, double edge long daggers, perfect for both assassinations as well as prolonged combat, stored under the gauntlets themselves, they had their own tricks. More than ten tiny seals carried a large amount of different poisons, from neurotoxins to snake venom, for many different results, from pain to knockout to paralysis to death. The blades' wind blade and shocking arrays were arranged to make short work in case of direct confrontation. The blades were obviously of master craftsmanship, the hilt made of bone wrapped in soft leather and the guard being a snake's mouth open at 180degrees, two fangs protruding at each side of the main blade. On the center of the guard, before the snake's head there was a small emerald on each side. The orb on the bottom of the hilt had the Kanji for Snake Fangs. Upon seeing them Anko squealed like a little girl and wrapped her little brother in a bear-hug. Naruto for his part scratched his head and looked apologetically toward's Hinata.

Despite the groups happiness though, they all knew why they were getting these works of art. The chuunin exams were ahead. New dangers were emerging. But most importantly noone forgot that even though these gifts looked beautiful, they were made with one thing in mind; taking another being's life. Naruto's thoughts were rather bitter on that part. 'No matter what I do, I can't escape this my destiny. Seems these hands of mine were made only for taking life. No matter. I shall defend them all and use this curse to protect them. I will not fail.' Hinata took note of Naruto's determined look and sighed slightly. He'd be there for everyone. She knew it. She just wished that sometimes he wasn't that selfless... Then she gave a sad smile. It was after all what made Naruto... Naruto. He was himself and she loved him for it.

As the sun set slowly, the team slowly went their separate ways, a deep feeling in their hearts. Unknowingly, they all made the same thought. 'The time of peace is coming at an end. Now we have to fight, with everything we have.'

**A/N: Alright this chappie is done finally. Took me some time but finally its here. Next chapter are the begginings of the Chuunin exams as well as some encounters. Thanks to everyone that has voted on the poll, it really helps. Also thanks to my reviewers for their kind words and help. Glad to see there are no flamers in here, well till now that is. Hopefully it will stay so.**

**P.S. Woot chapter 10! First milestone! I must say though, when I started, I half expected I'd put this up for adoption at one point or other. Glad to not have done that mistake :D  
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**Today, on this 9/6/2012, I, Soulblazer87, do hereby leave this site, possibly forever.**

**I shall not update this, or any other story.**

**I shall leave them on, however. Should you desire to follow my stories, do so in my new site of residence: www dot yourfanfiction dot com.**


	11. Chapter 11

_Chapter 11: The Coming Dusk_

When Kurenai showed up in her team's training grounds with some slips of paper, she didn't miss the look on her student's faces. The look of determination was unmistakable, even in the ever-enigmatic Shino. The team took the slips of paper and stored them in their pouches thanking her. Kurenai couldn't help but fear for her team's fate. They may be very strong, but she knew that there was always someone stronger. She just hoped they'd survive. Unbeknownst to her, Naruto was having the same thoughts. He wasn't afraid for himself, he knew he could take on any gennin and just about any chuunin level opponent, but he feared for Hinata. Hinata wasn't afraid though. The time she had spent with Naruto had helped her improve her self-esteem and skills by leaps and bounds. She was confident and it showed. She wasn't overestimating herself though. Confidence is good, but brashness can get you killed. Shino... was Shino. No matter the circumstances he never showed more emotions than necessary, well when he was with anyone apart from his friends that is. With them he let some emotions show, even though he was having a hard time with them still.

Later that day, team 8 was wandering through the village, looking for something to do. In the end Naruto came across Konohamaru and his friends. Hinata and Shino knew them as well, since Naruto brought them over once during training. He had promised to teach them something so they went to the team's training grounds for some fun. Moegi instantly took to Hinata, seeing as Hinata was not only a beautiful kunoichi, but a very effective one as well. Udon's logic drew him towards Shino, but you could never tell with him. Konohamaru as always remained a fan of Naruto.

The Konohamaru Corps have been wandering Konoha in search of something to do, as they had already skipped the Academy. Coming across Naruto and his team they challenged them to a game of ninja, which Team 8 agreed happily to. Naruto chased down Konohamaru, making sure he wasn't moving too fast, otherwise the game would be meaningless, when he heard him cry in pain. Speeding up he turned the corner and saw Konohamaru held by a boy Naruto's age dressed in a black jumpsuit... with cat ears? And wearing make-up? Naruto shook the doubts of said person's masculinity and charged to save his friend. Less than a second later, he held the black dressed kid's wrist with his right hand ready to snap it, while his left hand had grabbed his neck and lifted him off the ground.

"Drop the kid. Now. Or I'll snap your wrist like twig. Got it teme?"

The make-up wearing boy let the child drop and jumped back. Naruto looked at Konohamaru to make sure he was ok. When he turned back, the other guy had taken that mummy thing off his back and placed it on the ground. He spoke arrogantly.

"Oh yeah? You might have surprised me there tree-hugger but we Suna shinobi aren't weak! I'll show you!"

Naruto looked bored, while the other guys apparent sister, yelled at the guy for revealing his secret weapon. Whatever it was. Naruto sped up again, this time taking out a kunai in each hand and went behind the arrogant boy, kunai placed on the side of the temple.

"I don't know what your secret weapon is, but if I stab my kunai in your temple it won't matter cat-boy. Besides the kid you held? He's the Hokage's grandson. Want to start a new Shinobi war baka? Or do you care more about stealing your sister's make-up?"

Said boy seemed to calm down a bit and let go of his bandaged item. Naruto made sure he had no way of getting it back before leaping over him and landing in front of the duo, facing them.

"Now since you are Suna shinobi, I expect to see your passes and reason of visit, even though I'm betting you're here for the Chuunin exams."

The black-dressed guy's sister, a girl with short blond hair and fan on her back took out her pass and showed it to Naruto. Behind Naruto landed the rest of his team, seemingly calm but if one could see, they were in a stance they could easily draw their weapons. Naruto looked at the pass before speaking again.

"Oi make-up boy, what about you? I'd like to see your pass too. Yours and your rather pissed off friend's. Yeah about you on the tree."

A red-headed boy shunshin'ed down from the tree and showed the pass, while the other one was claiming it was war-paint and not make-up. Naruto poked fun at the guy again.

"So you're going to war during the Chuunin Exams are you?" At this Naruto noticed the twitch of the team but chose not to speak about it. "You should learn manners though, like your sister and brother. Though I would honestly prefer your sister's manners. Don't want you getting that bloodthirsty now do we."

Meanwhile, inside Naruto's mind, Kyubi recognized the power of the Ichibi no Shukaku and warned Naruto of him. He also said Shukaku seemed ready to break out. As the team turned to leave, the red-haired, now known as Gaara, turned to Naruto and spoke in an extremely creepy monotone voice.

"What is your name Konoha shinobi?"

"I am Uzumaki Naruto. For now at least. We'll see each other again in the Chuunin Exams... brother tanuki." The last part whispered so low that only someone with very highly attuned senses would pick up. Gaara's eyes widened a fraction before glaring at Naruto and unleashing his entire KI. Naruto on the other hand looked... bored and unleashed his own.

Gaara's eyes widened and he grasped his head. "Next time I see you, you will die... fox." Immidiately the Suna team left with a quick shunshin.

Naruto looked at his team and told them to meet him at their training ground. When they left, Naruto went to the Hokage's office, jumping in from the window.

"Hokage-sama... there is something we must discuss. Secure this room please."

Sarutobi knew that if Naruto called him Hokage something was bad. Quickly he secured the room.

"Jiji... the team from Suna... they have a jinchuuriki. Worse... his seal doesn't seem to be holding up very well. Me and Kyubi could help but we'll need help subduing him long enough. But that's not the most frightening thing. The suna team reacted when I accused them of preparing for a war. It was faint but I saw and smelled it."

"Naruto-kun, is it not possible that you misread the signs?"

"No sir. I know what I smell and I smelled fear. I'm afraid it will happen sometime during the Chuunin exams... possibly in the last part."

"I see. I will ask Jiraiya-kun to come here if that's ok with you?"

"Oh whoop-de-doo I'll get to see my long lost _godfather_. Yeah bring him here, I wanna ask him exactly why he left me here to rot, the asshole. Anyway there's something else. You know I've spent a lot of time with seals right? Well I made a breakthrough of sorts and completed a few of my father's arrays. Or well more than a few but that's beside the point. The point is I have already used my seals and arrays on some things, improving them beyond recognition. Mostly my team's weapons. Ji-san, I offer the same to you. Let me use my father's and mine knowledge to help you. Suna won't come along, they'll have allies. It quite possible that we'll have trouble and you'll have to fight. I don't want anyone killing my ji-san. Please let me help as little as I can."

"Naruto-kun my armor's already improved and has served me for a long time."

"Yeah but noone other than me has the knowledge of seals that I do. Please jiji, trust me on this. If you want you can come see what I've made for everyone and then decide."

"Very well Naruto-kun, very well, I'll come. But keep in mind I've met your dad and Jiraiya."

"Oh I know. And that's exactly the point. Dad would have completed the arrays, no doubt about that. But he never got the time for it. I completed them in his stead. That's the thing really. They are dad's works, its just that I finished it."

Sandaime sighed before going with Naruto to Team 8's training grounds. The kid may be a genius but he was still a long way from his father. Or so the Third believed. Needless to say, his beliefs shattered violently when he saw the arrays Naruto had utilized. Grumpily he accepted Naruto's skills and allowed Naruto to get the old man's armor and work on it. While Naruto left to get the armor to his home and start working on it, the old man explained everything to the team. Everyone seemed apprehencive. For once even Anko and Zabuza didn't seem happy to be killing someone. War is the absolute worst thing that can ever happen.

Naruto took the armor and went to his apartment. After sorting out each and every little piece, he spread them out, made some clones and began his inspection. Finding the seals, he analyzed and copied them to his sealing book. After that he sent a clone to one of the few stores he could buy safely from and told the owner and blacksmith that he'd need his services. Another clone went to the Sandaime to tell him to meet up in said blacksmith's forge. Once there, Naruto came in carrying scrolls with the schematics of both the Hokage's old armor and the new one he had started designing. Getting some warm sake and dango, the three men sat down and initiated a discussion that lasted well into the night on the specs of the new armor. Highest quality steel, chakra conductive fibers, deer skin leather, you ask it you have it. At Naruto's request the forgemaster got some good quality steel and heated it up. Naruto went over it, got a kunai out and smirked. What happened next shocked both men in the forge. Naruto used his kunai to slit the arterie on his left hand from elbow to wrist, whispered "Let's do this Kybi" and let his blood flow into the molten metal.

The forgemaster went to stop him but was himself stopped by the Sandaime. Naruto grit his teeth as his blood flowed into the metal and Kyubi channeled his youkai through said blood. The metal itself then began glowing a blood-red color before heating up even more. Now the metal was a molten white hot but a red overglow from the youkai remained. Naruto's wound sealed itself in seconds and he turned to the Hokage.

"As you know Jiji, Kyubi's not sealed in my gut any more. He's in my blood. Literally. You see blood is the life-giving essense and quite a few more things. Things that give it enough power to contain the strongest of the tailed beasts. Sinse Kyubi is contained in my own blood, I let it flow into the metal, by extension letting Kyubi's power flow into the molten metal. Higurashi-san, I would request a Katana be made from this metal and then to be allowed to test it. Under no circumstances are you to channel your chakra into this metal or even hold it for an extended time. Neither Kyubi nor I have the slightest idea what will happen with Kyubi's youkai. I'll be here every second of the forging to make sure everything's calm. After all I made sure not to channel more than I can handle."

Naruto then spent a few hours explaining everything to the poor blacksmith and calming him down. After everything was explained though, the man couldn't wait to start the forging of the blade. After all, how many smiths could claim to have made weapons empowered by a demon? That is not to say he wasn't carefull or hasty. He knew the dangers, but when Naruto presented them as a challenge and a chance to be remembered he took it.

Naruto and the weaponsmith worked tirelessly over the blade, Naruto took some time to even learn a few things on weaponsmithing. Sure nothing serious but he could tell if a weapon had a serious problem now as well as how to fix some of them. It was an interesting art he surmised, one that required not only strength but also knowledge, patience and an eye for details. It is a pity indeed that the fruits of this art will always hurt someone.

It took a day and a half but the day was finally complete. Naruto wanted to test it but instead chose to seal it in a scroll for now. After all the Chuunin Exams were the very next day, team 8 had to make sure they were ready for it. Naruto had spent a bit of time using his clones to find out about the rest of the teams, well Konoha's teams that is, since he couldn't find the other teams without raising suspicion. He was surprised to find that the other rookie teams would actually attempt to pass the exams, though he wasn't surprised to find out that they had nowhere _near_ the training his team did. For a moment he considered that the jounin senseis were somehow competing with each other through their gennin. That was a foolish thought right?

The team got to the building they'd be examined in quite early, wanting to scout out the place and prepare as much as possible. Climbing up the stairs, team F.E.A.R. ignored the 'chuunin' guarding the door and simply went to the third floor. Once inside the examination room, Shino determined that they would be tested in some sort of written test so Naruto made sure to disperse some Kage Bunshin around the class, some sticking to the ceiling, others disguised in the floor. Shino sent some of his bugs on his teammates making sure he could communicate with them.

Soon the room filled with shinobi. Most were from Konoha, others from the five great shinobi nations and yet others from smaller lands like Kusa. Once the rest of the rookie teams came in, team 8 wasted some time in playful banter. Well most of them as Sasuke and Sakura were still angry at them, each for his own reasons. It came as no surprise to the team that when a genin named Kabuto offered info on other Shinobi Sasuke wanted to learn everything on Naruto. Naruto's stats though did surprise them though.

"Naruto... Ah here he is. Uzumaki Naruto, teammates Hyuga Hinata and Aburame Shino... wow this guy's good. Ninjutsu and genjutsu skills unknown but considering the team's sensei he should be good. High chuunin to low jounin taijutsu, expert in seals, average chakra control but his reserves easily rival any pair of Kage. Mission list 40 D-ranks, 2 C-ranks, 1 B-rank and 1 A-rank. Not to mention his team performed above average in nearly all of them. His team must be real good if they can do this. It says here he posseses abilities noone else can use and a previously unseen summoning contract. He's definitely Chuunin material, maybe even jounin!"

Sasuke was pissed off by the fact that he didn't learn much about Naruto's abilities, apart from the summoning contract that is. Angered he marched to an interested Naruto to acquire it. He was an Uchiha after all. He deserved it much more than this no-name orphan brat.

"Dobe, give me your summoning contract." Naruto simply ignored Sasuke for the very simple reason that his name wasn't 'Dobe'. Instead Naruto focused his entire attention on Kabuto. Something seemed off. Not just the info he had was classified, but also something... else. It was familiar and yet not so... Naruto tried in vain to remember what it was while Sasuke was trying to get his attention. In the end Sasuke did get his attention, if in the wrong way. Sasuke pushed Naruto back in an attempt to intimidate him with his Uchiha superiority. Of course when his hands fell on the unmovable wall that was Naruto, he failed to even budge him and fell backwards himself. Naruto just looked semi-surprised at Sasuke.

"Oi teme what are you doing there?"

"I've been talking to you dobe! Give me your summoning contract!"

"No." A simple answer that should suffice for anyone. But of course Uchiha Sasuke was not just anyone.

"I said give it to me. I am an elite Uchiha and I deserve it more than a no-name orphan like you." The room almost froze from the killer intent. Hinata and Shino glanced at each other mouthing 'Idiot.'

"So Sasuke... you consider yourself to be an elite Uchiha huh... so _what exactly prevents me from taking whatever makes you an Uchiha?_ Listen here you piece of shit, I don't care who your parents were, frankly I don't care if you go slit your wrists over not getting my summoning contract you retarded emo brat. But. If you insult my family one more time I'm going to maul you. Got it asshole?" To punctuate his remark Naruto shoved Sasuke. Hard. As a result Sasuke went flying back to the wall and hit it, causing spider web-like cracks to appear. Sasuke fell to the ground with an 'oof'. Sakura tried to punch Naruto for hitting her Sasuke-kun. She almost did it too. Almost, as in Hinata intercepted the blow with one of her own. A jyuken strike that paralyzed Sakura's right arm. Remembering just who were against her Sakura actually realized she couldn't do anything and went back to treating her fallen dark haired prince.

Naruto barely payed attention at the examiner when he came in. He knew his clones would let him know what was needed. Instead he was focused on finding out why Kabuto was so suspicious. Naruto closed his eyes and began a basic meditation, clearing his mind. It took him a bit but he remembered; Kabuto's scent was that of a snake! But how... he wasn't a vet and such a scent could only be acquired after a long time of association with snakes. That left only two options;either he was Anko's secret student or... he was Orochimaru's servant. Naruto's eyes widened when he reached that conclusion. Quickly he got all the answers from his disappearing clones and used Shino's insect allies to transmit a message of urgency. Now he only had to get to Anko and maybe Ibiki. After all Ibiki worked with Anko so he could possibly help.

Ibiki smirked, the gennin were mostly ready to run off screaming like little girls. Oh scaring these rookies was fun. It was time for the final nail on the coffin. Clearing his throat he spoke again.

"Alright maggots its time for the last question. Now here are some _new_ rules. You can choose to take it or not." Predictably someone blew up.

"What the heck do you mean we can choose to take it or not? Of course we will!" Ibiki chuckled darkly, something he had perfected with hours upon hours of mental torture.

"Simple. If you don't take it, you will walk out and try again next time. If you do try it though and you fail... you will remain gennin FOREVER!"

"That's impossible! There are some amongst us that have taken it before!"

"Tough luck that this year I am the proctor! You can choose to give this one up and try next year or try your luck and stay stuck forever!"

Ibiki watched with satisfaction as his words made many teams leave. Weaklings he surmised, not the guts to be chuunin, the guts to go knee-deep in shit and come on top. Then something happened that he didn't foresee; the Uzumaki raised his hand. 'Wait what?' Thought Ibiki. Uzumaki _never_ gave up!

Naruto had enough of these cowards. Time to show them the real meaning of guts. He raised his hand and watched the proctors. As one was ready to call his number, he smacked his hand on the table. Hard. The desk cracked under the strength.

"Like hell we'll give up! So what if we remain gennin forever! We'll complete our dreams as gennin! We don't need anything else damnit! My dream is to become strong and rank doesn't matter in the slightest. If I have to be, I'll be the first S-ranked gennin! So bring it on teme! I didn't chicken out against Zabuza, there's no way in hell I'm gonna chicken out against a piece of shit interrogator like yourself! Feh, a drunk Konohamaru is more scary than you so I call _bullshit_ on you! So bring it! Gimme your best shot and I'll beat you to the ground!"

Ibiki laughed his ass on the inside. Brat's a born leader. His little stunt gave courage back to the people inside. He waited a bit and saw that they got over their fear.

"Alright maggots! Its time to tell you... that you pass." And cue and explosion of 'what's and 'why's. Waiting a bit for them to calm down, he explained the meaning. Then the Uzumaki interferred again.

"Scarface there's right. You don't have the guts to go on, choose another job. Brats like most of you think that being a shinobi is all about rescuing pretty princesses and daimyos. Well news flash bitches. It ain't. Its a cold hard, harsh world where you will have to kill because someone has money. Understand this brats. The color of your life isn't emo-black nor tree-hugging-green. Its red. Blood red. If you don't have the guts to go head first in a mission then don't even think about going on in this exam, 'cause I suspect next round will have killing. And lots of it. Those of you that can't stomach it go farm or something. Go hunt Tora or whatever boring D-rank mission you want. Leave the real missions for the real shinobi, those that will risk life and limb for their country."

Ibiki was officially impressed. The brat knew what he was talking about, he could see it in his eyes. The eyes of someone who fought and overcame an impossibly strong opponent through sheer willpower. Heh the brat was interesting. No wonder Anko spoke so highly of him. Speaking of Anko... she was late. Well late for Anko he surmised as he finished his part of the exams.

Suddenly a huge Zanbatou came through the window, breaking it and throwing glass shards everywhere. The Zanbatou itself got stuck in the blackboard and on it appeared a shirtless man. Those that had anything to do with Bingo Books recognised and most shivered. The rest were scared shitless out of the sheer _presense_ of the man. The bloodthirst that was obvious even as he didn't project it outwards. Zabuza looked at the gennin behind him and smirked wickedly.

"Oh you left quite the bunch of them scarface. You loosing your edge in your old age? Meh, its fine, all the more blood to be spilled in the next round." A feral grin etched itself on Zabuza's face. "I'll cut them down by half in the second round anyway." A deep dark chuckle, worthy of Orochimaru's best reverbrated on the walls, shaking most of the would-be gennin. Most of them already wondering if they were going to die or something. "Alright you brats, follow me into training ground 44 over there." Zabuza pointed in the distance at a forest patch. "You have 10 minutes to get there so MOVE IT!" The final words finally got the gennin moving. Zabuza saw Naruto's smirk and smirked back, it was going to be _fun_.

As everyone, sans Zabuza and Ibiki, filed out of the room, Naruto stayed behind. Approaching them he spoke quickly, knowing he had little time.

"Ibiki, I apologize for the words I spoke before, but I needed the extra competition in the next part, otherwise I might end up fighting some people, that for reasons of closeness I wouldn't raise a hand against. Not to mention the Uchiha's pink team-mate was ready to run off screaming, robbing me of an opportunity to put the brat back into his place. However, this isn't important. The important thing is... Yakushi Kabuto smells of snakes. Not the occasional, pet-like smell either. I'm talking deeply engraved, snake and blood smell. That means that he's gotta be near them a lot. Or... near someone with snakes. Someone like Anko... or Orochimaru. I fear Kabuto will betray us. Tell Anko and Sandaime. One more thing... tell the old man to get my damnable godfather here ASAP. There's a small chance the snake bastard's here and we'll need him. No I'm not telling you who my godfather is. You'll learn in the third part. Just like the rest of Konoha. It's gonna be fun I promise. See you later, Ibiki, Zabuza." With these rather troubling news, Naruto shunshin'ed away in a a small wind tornado.

Naruto arrived at Training grounds 44, in time to see Zabuza shunshin in as well. He and Anko both explained the exams. Naruto and his team had a hard time not facepalming with the sheer foolishness some of their fellow gennin displayed. And they were supposed to be the finest batch in a long time too! How pathetic would the rest be?

Naruto and co. signed the papers and got their scroll. Shino made clones out of his insects and everyone got one of them. The real scroll was sealed in Shino's coat. In the small frame of time given, the team strategized a bit, choosing to head for the tower first, if possible taking out another team. If not, they'd lay in wait for one to come to them. They were condident enough they could take just about anyone, even Kabuto's experienced team. Naruto however warned his team of the possible presence of Orochimaru. Damn bastard knew how to hide though so Naruto couldn't fish him out.

Naruto's team burst into the forest, too fast for any animal to even perceive, Naruto taking point with his heat-sight in use, ready to flush out any trapper, Hinata behind him, Byakugan blazing and Shino last, insects around him making a ingh-imperceptible sphere of protection and detection. The team had long since found out the great power of an Aburame, they could defend and attack at the same time, switching modes wordlessly and seamlessly, turning an offencive move into a defencive, confounding the opponent, pinning and draining them. Not to mention they could go on as long as they had insects, their chakra increasing instead of decreasing in combat. Naruto chuckled, Haku had had a nasty surprise when Shino started using his insect allies. If the boy could do that to his crush, Naruto didn't even _want_ to consider what he'd do to someone hurting said crush.

Running through the forest, Naruto raised his hand, causing his team to land next to him on a branch. Using the silent communication they had come up with before, basing it off the ANBU's own, Naruto pointed ahead.

_"Three targets, trap, I trigger. Acceptable?"_

_"Negative, sneak and destroy, silently. Use clone to bait, circle and attack. Pincer target."_ Shino responded. Yeah their silent communication might be a bit lacking, but it got the job done.

As per plan, Naruto made three clones, henge'd as his team and they went around their enemies. Hinata's Byakugan and Shino's allies finding them with ease. Naruto used skills he had honed with hours of running away from ANBU, sneaking past them into their HQ and in training excercises by Anko to sneak around them. Hinata used similar abilities, only she used chakra, making sure though to hide it by mixing it with the ambient chakra,effectively blending in with the forest around her. Shino used the help of his tiny allies to mute all sounds, as well as his own talent in the area to sneak and complete the pincer manouevre. After all their targets were completely focused on the approaching clones, the sounds of the forest masking the sounds of the approaching team.

Naruto struck first, his hand forming a crane's beak with his fingers (sounds kinda fruity but I assure you, it hurts like a bitch), and used it to strike at the other person's temple. Lightly. Very, very lightly, as even a normal person could kill with this strike and Naruto was anything but a normal person (again I'm serious, a properly formed crane's beak can break a bone with very little exhertion, I've seen it shatter bricks easily). Hinata went for a silent but powerful gentle fist strike on the back of her target's neck and knocked him out. Shino for his part, rammed a kunai butt into his targets temple. Three soft thuds echo'ed and three targets went down. Shino found a second heaven scroll and passed it to Hinata, making a second fake scroll for his team.

Second scroll in place, Naruto and his team sped up again and went ahead. In a matter of hours they came across their second encounter, taking the other team in a similar way, this time acquiring the earth scroll they needed. Shino took that scroll as well, seeing as he was the team member to get the least injured in a fight, therefore having less chances of having the seal ruined and the scroll inside destroyed.

Meanwhile in the Forest of Death, team 9 a.k.a. Ino, Shikamaru and Chouji were treated to the gruesome sight of Gaara squeezing the life out of an Ame nin.

At the same time a feminine looking man, or was it masculine-looking woman, sank his teeth on Sasuke's neck, causing him to black out in pain.

Outside the training grounds, Anko was being restrained by Zabuza and Ibiki, hell bent on charging inside and killing Orochimaru. It was until Zabuza spoke to her that she calmed down.

"What the heck is wrong with you woman? You charge in there and Orochimaru's gonna kill you. Then the gaki is going to go nuts and attack Orochimaru, dieing in the process! He's tough alright, but not that tough yet! Let the bastard go Anko and Hokage will take care of the pedophile. Don't you always say revenge is a dish best served cold? So calm the fuck down!"

When Anko was sufficiently calm, the group informed the Hokage who changed the test's goal. Those that reached the tower would pass anyway, regardless of scrolls. Now the Hokage could wait and hope. Wait for Jiraiya, the perverted writer, wait for Orochimaru, his fallen apprentice, wait for Naruto, his adopted grandson. Maybe even wait for Shinigami, his passing postponed for a long time the war-weary Hokage surmised.

Back inside the forest of death, team 8 came to a stop as a lone figure emerged from the shadows of the trees. The feeling of death heavy on the wind, the presence of that person alone screaming fear into the minds and hearts of the three gennin. The person walked forward, revealing long, slick black hair, pale face and yellow, slit eyes. The person then spoke in a sickeningly sweet, obviously mocking voice.

"Well, well Naruto-kun, we meet at last. I wanted to meet you for a long, long time, see how good you really are my dear boy."

Naruto tensed, his chakra flow sped up and his breathing deepened with hate. One word escaped his lips, one word that terrified his team-mates more than anything else.

"Oro... chimaru..."

The figure chuckled, a dark mirthless laugh that sent chills down the spines of the gennin... Orochimaru took a step forward...

**A/N: I know I know, you hate cliffies, well so do I. This way at least I'll be able to focus on the fight completely. Don't ya worry, have I let you down? I hope not that much heh.**

**Anyway review if you can. Like it, hate it, suggestions, anything really, well except flaming that is. Unless you got a better idea that is :D**

**I promise to finish the next chapter as soon as possible, especially since I have been thinking about that chapter for weeks.  
**

* * *

**Today, on this 9/6/2012, I, Soulblazer87, do hereby leave this site, possibly forever.**

**I shall not update this, or any other story.**

**I shall leave them on, however. Should you desire to follow my stories, do so in my new site of residence: www dot yourfanfiction dot com.**


	12. Chapter 12

_Chapter 12: Into the Darkness_

Naruto's eyes became red and slitted, increasing the blood flow and changing them to a form much more suited in the half darkness of a forest. Naruto narrowed his eyes, using his improved visibility to confirm the truth that Orochimaru himself was in front of them and not a clone. Copying the Inuzuka clan in a way, Naruto also sent chakra to his other senses while shifting them to a more effective form, his nostrils flaring and opening up, his ears becoming pointed, Naruto sharpened his senses to the finest degree possible. This was bad... real bad. Calming himself forcefully, Naruto spoke to his team, without a single muscle except his mouth twitching.

"Shino, Hinata, move. I will cover you. Get to the tower and call for help, we don't have a choice."

Hinata looked apprehencive but Shino agreed. Naruto was very tough, the only one amongst them with a chance to last long enough against such an opponent. He also understood two other things; Narutou would be unable to go all out with his friends around and he did't want Hinata to see him using Kyubi's chakra ever again. Quickly nodding Shino took Hinata and sped off. Hinata had time to only say one thing.

"Promise me you will survive Naruto-kun."

Unfortunately for her, Shino took her away before she could hear Naruto's answer.

Naruto focused all his attention on the snake Sannin. The same son of a bitch that hurt his nee-chan. Naruto growled at his enemy.

Inside Naruto, Kyubi stopped lounging around and aligned himself to Naruto's chakra coils. This was a strong opponent, much stronger than anyone else and the kit couldn't summon someone to kill him or he'd be unable to free Anko. So the kit would have to do everything by himself...

The two enemies stood motionless for the most part, neither moving. Naruto was preparing himself for battle, increasing the speed of his blood flow and oxygen intake while Orochimaru was considering marking this child or outright killing him.

"Well well Naruto-kun, you are such a chivalrous young man, looking to save your comrades. Who is going to save you though? Your only allies are gone."

"Don't give me that crap snake-eyes. They wouldn't help me much and you know it. This is a battle amongst monsters like you and me."

"Dear dear... monsters... We are not monsters Naruto-kun, we simply are. If anything we are superior aren't we? Stronger, faster, tougher... Natural selection my dear... its why we ride horses and not the other way round. If anything we are the natural rulers. We with powers they cannot begin to comprehend should lead instead of being led. Its as simple as that."

"I can see that. In a world where might makes right I'd be a Hokage. However that would also mean I wouldn't have friends. And to me... friends are worth my life, not just me soul. So unfortuately I don't agree with your superiority thing. Besides, if anything, you should be the one bowing to me. After all you are still mostly human. Me? Haven't been human in a long time... Becoming human less and less as I age."

"Then you should come with me. I don't have problems with non-humans. In fact I do so enjoy your company."

"And the experiments you'd subject us to. I'm not coming with you, hebi-teme. You hurt my nee-chan and for that... you will die."

"Oh you have a sister? Who might she be? Do I know her?"

"Of course you do snake-face. Her name... IS ANKO!" Naruto charged the Sannin, deciding not to reveal everything, relying on his fists and kicks for now. Of course considering he could punch the bastard through a good two trees, he wasn't in that much of a disadvantage.

Orochimaru dodged to the right to avoid the punch, it was a good one too, most chuunin would have had a shattered jaw by now.

Naruto spun on his right leg, sending a left punch on Orochimaru, which got dodged by him ducking under it. Naruto continued the spin sending his left leg on a low kick and when it missed, spun even faster, made a 360 rotation, placed the left foot down and lashed out with the right one.

Orochimaru was impressed. This kid was fast, with powerful crisp blows, maintaining a combo of assaults against a dodging enemy, while at the same time cornering said enemy so he couldn't dodge. Engrossed in his thoughts, Orochimaru lowered his guard after Naruto's later spin. Kyubi seeing it ordered every muscle in Naruto's incoming left arm to go overdrive, letting Naruto increase his strength exponentially.

CRUNCH!

Orochimaru went through a tree by the resulting punch, the sound of broken bone filling the air.

'This... this brat... He's not only fast... he's unbelievably strong. He's almost like Tsunade! Worse he didn't even use chakra to enhance the blow... This could get dangerous... But not yet. Not yet.'

Naruto watched disgusted as Orochimaru changed skins, repairing the damage in the meantime.

"Ku, ku, ku, Naruto-kun, that wasn't very nice now was it? But I do wonder, why would someone as obviously talented as you, be a gennin still? After all that punch actually damaged me."

"Because I choose to. Because I am Uzumaki Naruto. Because I am not like anyone else. Talent, strength, jutsu... they don't matter. What matters... is determination. The determination to overcome everything. The determination to keep fighting even when the whole world is stacked against you. That is why... I will defeat you Orochimaru. That is why I will _win._"

Orochimaru smirked wichedly, this child was very very interesting. To have taken all that abuse and still reply like this... Orochimaru's scientific mind was intrigued. Now he wanted him all the more.

Naruto and Orochimaru clashed again, this time with Orochimaru striking back.

Naruto dodged left and right, his spine bending in unreal degrees, only to counter with all of his limbs equally. Orochimaru weaved and parried against his opponent's blows, like a snake moving through spiked plants.

This... this child... obviously knew his fighting style, meaning Anko taught him. But the most surprising thing... were his eyes... He could see it. Orochimaru saw that Naruto knew he couldn't win, yet he went on. What was he fighting for? How could he fight so ferociously? How could he feel no fear? No... he felt fear... but... but he had conquered it. It made no differece if fear was there. No, it made a difference. This child drew strength from his fear! The more fear he felt, the more courageous he became, overpowering everything in his way. It was awe-inspiring to the snake Sannin... Someone as young as this... to be able to do something like this was unheard of. These eyes... these damnable eyes reminded him of Jiraiya, his hated team-mate and Minato, his even more hated rival to the Hokage position.

Orochimaru saw that this child wouldn't follow him, not just saw it, but felt it completely. This child wouldn't become his servant, he would become the one to fight and possibly kill him. If he was left unmarked that is. But it was too soon for the marking to occur yet. He had to see more of this child, see why he should prefer him over Sasuke's Sharingan.

The two warriors disengaged, slightly winded.

"We've had our warmup Orochimaru... let's take this seriously. I know you're stronger than this."

"Ku,ku,ku, Naruto-kun you're so strong. So much more impressive than anyone I've met before... Maybe even stronger than Sasuke-kun."

"Feh, don't put me in the same level as that weakling. His sharingan is the only reason he's not dead yet."

"So true, so true Naruto-kun. Now shall we continue? I do so wish to see your abilities."

Naruto was worried. He seemed strong but he knew he couldn't win... he couldn't defeat Orochimaru. Of course that didn't mean he'd let the bastard go without some 'mementos'. Its just that he wanted to free Anko... The way things were going he would have to go all out... either killing or being killed... And Anko would pay the price. Knowing what Anko would say though, he crushed the feelings and let his eyes droop close. Chakra swirled as seals were cancelled over his body. Restraints lifted, power flowing through him.

"Alright Oro-teme. You asked for this. Let me show you what power I gained five years ago. The power that makes me less human than any jinchuuriki... the power that cursed and saved me. The power I affectionately call... Mugen Shinka, Infinite Evolution."

Naruto opened his eyes and Orochimaru could only stare. Naruto's arms began to shift, forming bladed, serrated arms where there was only smooth flesh, the black, matt bone a stark difference to Naruto's tanned skin. His eyes loosing their pupil, or was it that the pupil dilated so much it took over the entire eye? Knees and bones bending, reforming and reconfiguring, a sound of cloth torn and a tail emerged from Naruto's backbone. Not a normal tail. This one seemed segmented, blades held in place by a central powerful muscle surrounded by nerves. Quite the disturbing sight.

Naruto stuck his bladed tips on the ground he was on firmly. His jaw shifted, enabling for a better bite, teeth becoming fangs. In a growling, hard to understand voice he spoke...

"Sooo? You like dis? Oro-teme?"

Orochimaru felt awed and... drooling... He wanted, no he desired this child... to have him serve and fight, oh the pure, beautiful brutality of this being... He could feel himself trembling with the desire to see this beautiful monsster set unleashed against hapless weaklings... he could be the strongest weapon ever! Oh if only he had the Sharingan... he would gain unimaginable power... Oh the slaughter... the pain... the _power_! Orochimaru would mark this child.

Orochimaru drew his Kusanagi blade, knowing any normal weapon would simply shatter on Naruto's bones and readied himself to fight.

Naruto charged Orochimaru, blades held back and to the side, a few steps before meeting him, he sped up and jumped over the snake user, twirling mid air, making a stabbing/raking motion with his blades towards the collarbone. Orochimaru for his part twirled around, using the Kusanagi to block before sending a powerful kick to Naruto's midsection. Naruto managed to block it on time, before lashing out with a kick of his own, again getting it blocked.

Naruto landed/skidded on the ground and charged again. It was time to bring out the big guns. Rushing forth, he jumped forward, twisting his body mid-air, recreating the drill-like attack he used back in wave. Only this time, he knew what he was doing, charging his armblades with Fuuton chakra, creating a coccoon of wind around him.

**"Shikyo Doriru! (Death Drill)"**

Orochimaru saw that blocking this was as bad as taking it head on so he dodged to the side, only for Naruto to lash out with his blades, missing again, ramming his hand on the ground, continuing the spin with a lashing right hand.

Orochimaru was impressed... this combo may not have worked on him... but just about any jounin would have been out for the count. And Konoha had this wonder of a child as a _gennin_? It was ludicrous! He should be _leading jounin_!

The snake user leaped over a recovering Naruto, rearing his hand. Shooting forth were many poisonous and constricting snakes.

**"Senei'tajashu! (Multiple snake hidden hand)"**

Naruto looked at the rain of snakes surrounding him. Spreading his blades to the side, he recreated his coccoon and spun wildly,

**"Yaiba Jiten! (Blade Spin)"**

True to its name, Naruto's spinning technique created a tornado of wind blades around him, shredding the snakes before they even got close to him. In responce Orochimaru made some quick handseals.

**"Katon: Gokakyou no Jutsu! (Fire Style: Great Fireball Technique)"**

Naruto withdrew his spinning chakra and gathered it to his feet, compressing it and then creating an explosion. The blast propelled him upwards to the descending snake-sannin. Naruto crossed his blades in front of him and slashed in an X-formation, making sure to leave no room for dodging. Unfortunately, Orochimaru had enough time to use a Kawarimi to escape. Naruto's tail lashed out and grabbed on a branch, making a whip like motion positioning Naruto on the branch.

"Very impressive Naruto-kun... Very very impressive indeed. You have most jounin beat."

"Heh you know that Anko's a slave driver right? Well with Zabuza on her side, she'd a hundred times worse. Especially when I let her."

"Oh and I was so wondering where my ex-disciple was... after so long it is good to hear of her. Has she improved at all Naruto-kun? I hope she doesn't disappoint."

"Feh, she and Zabuza give me more of a workout than you've done till now. At least they get me sweating teme."

Indeed Orochimaru noticed, Naruto hadn't even began sweating. The child must have insane stamina.

"So good to hear. Now shall we?"

"With pleasure snake-eyes."

Neither combatant lay motionless while they spoke. Orochimaru prepared a couple seal-less Tsuchi Bunshin just in case. Unfortunately for him, Naruto's heat-sight caught them and prepared counter-measures.

_Flashback_

_"Alright brat lemme teach you something; Hand-seals aren't necessary for a ninjutsu. If you have enough practice with one, you can even perform it without them. Of course its gonna be hard, tiring and not nearly as effective, but it can work. Keep that in mind in case you need it ok?" Spoke the ever-wise Anko while using a vairety of poisons on Naruto, planning on increasing his pain threshold._

_End Flashback_

Naruto used a large amount of his chakra and created a number of Kage Bunshin.

Orochimaru wondered what that chakra burst was but quickly calmed himself down, nothing seemed wrong. Maybe Naruto was fighitng Kyubi's influence by flaring his chakra to combat the youkai? That was definitely a possibility.

Orochimaru tensed his muscles and leapt at Naruto, Kusanagi flashing in a dazzling display of silver. Naruto countered by using his two bladed arms to defend and his tail to strike back, maintaining some balance in the fight. He knew though that Orochimaru was still only playing with him, not having used any kinjutsu yet.

If there was someone watching the fight, they would have remained with their jaws hanging. Both combatants were fighting at speeds that would make jounin green with envy. Observing, planning and executing became instantaneous procedures to the clashing warriors. Sparks flew as Kusanagi nicked Naruto's tail, only for the blades to come at an underbelly slash that Orochimaru dodged by bending like a snake. Naruto took advantage of that momentary retreat and pressed on by crouching himself and making a pivot to place himself under the Kusanagi sword. Meanwhile his tail wrapped around the legendary blade, holding it in place. The other blade rising to cut off Orochimaru's arm, Naruto kept his spinning up to a rising stabbing motion to impale Orochimaru. They both missed as Orochimaru used Naruto's tail as a counterweight to leap up above it, coming around with a kick. Naruto flicked his tail, destabilizing Orochimaru and causing him to miss, smashing Orochimaru on the ground as an added bonus. Naruto changed the trajectory of his previously stabbing arm to a downwards fuuton-imbued slash. When Orochimaru, predictably, dodged, Naruto used his other hand to make a slash crossing his previous one, leaving no option to Orochimaru other than let go of the sword or become snake fillet. Rolling to the side Orochimaru made a pulling motion with his palm which caused the Kusanagi sword to be wrenched free, as if by an invisible force and fly to his hand. Naruto for his part rightened himself before Orochimaru chose to charge again.

Naruto dashed at Orochimaru, both warriors slashing at each other madly before disengaging, jumping around to get to better ground, only to charge again, ignoring the growing feeling of tiredness in their muscles.

Orochimaru hadn't felt that way in a long, long time. Before he cut his ties with the weaklings of Konoha, when he fought the legendary Salamander Hanzou... Leader of Amegakure... the only man to have defeated the three legendary Sannin on his own.

Naruto roared at Orochimaru, letting him know of his feelings for the snake sannin. Orochimaru could _feel_ and _taste_ the fury, the cold hate lieing in Naruto. Such beautiful hate.

Naruto charged again, knowing if he let Orochimaru stay at long range, he was as good as dead.

* * *

Meanwhile with Shino and Hinata. The pair run as fast as they could, feeling the urgency, the fear and the sadness. Hinata prayed to Kami for Naruto's survival. She prayed long and hard, to Inari, to Kami, to every kami out there to help Naruto survive this fight. Something snapped inside Hinata as she prayed. She would not run away ever again. Next time that bastard showed up, he'd be the one running and not her. Hinata felt cold fury flow through her, she would not let that pedophile hurt her Naruto-kun. If he harmed him in the slightest... she'd prove that hell hath no fury like a woman pissed off indeed.

"Shino-kun. This is a promise of a lifetime. I shall not run away any more. If Naruto-kun is alright by the time we get help, I swear I will not run away ever again. Only my enemies shall run away. Only those that dare hurt my few important people."

"I... see. I must say I too feel somewhat ashamed of leaving Naruto behind, even if it is the most logical choice. I'm afraid I will not be able to stay true to such a promise, hence I will not insult you by making it, but I will not allow anyone to hurt someone as close to me as Naruto, you or Haku ever again."

The duo sped up, chakra being bolstered by the urgency. There was the tower ahead of them... Only a little bit more... Only a little bit more and Naruto would have the help he so desperately needed. The sound of leaves rustling ahead of the pair warned them that someone was approaching _ fast_.

* * *

Naruto's enhanced blades struck the Kusanagi again and again, Orochimaru's expertise and sheer experience keeping him safe as most people would have already fallen to Naruto's ceaseless assault. It was a beautiful offencive combo that started a whole two minutes ago and Orochimaru still couldn't find the time to counter attack without loosing an arm at best. Even worse, or better depending on who you are, Orochimaru knew that Naruto didn't plan all these blows. He was improvising, making up new attacks as the previous one was deflected, keeping a pace that any normal person, would be hardpressed to last against.

Orochimaru smirked inside. The bloodline of this body was most useful indeed. Cell regeneration and increased stamina along with Orochimaru's own experiments made a formidable opponent.

Still, even his body had limits and Orochimaru knew that he'd have to make his move soon. It was then that things began going downwards for Orochimaru.

Believing that the red, slitted eyes Naruto now sported now and the immense KI was Kyubi's influence, Orochimaru risked placing a seal on the boy. The seal would normally only limit the brat's use of elemental jutsu, but if it was placed on someone with a Bijuu inside, it would immidiately cut them off from the Bijuu's power source.

Using his superior expertise, speed and flexibility, Orochimaru reared his hand, five blue flames erupting over his fingertips, each bearing the kanji of an element, and struck them on Naruto's belly.

**"GOGYO FUUIN! (Five Elemental Seal)"**

Almost immidiately Naruto's wind blades vanished and Orochimaru jumped back expecting the boy to collapse. Then Naruto laughed.

"Is that all Oro-teme? Limit my elemental usage? Or limit my access to Kyubi's youkai? Fool! I was never drawing on it in the first place! You believe your pathetic seal, composed of nothing more than human chakra will stand up to Kyubi's youkai? Let me show you the error of your ways fool!"

With a roar of power, Kyubi's power gathered around Naruto's belly. The fool didn't know that the seal in his gut was useless it seems. Kyubi's power wasn't sealed inside Naruto. Kyubi was inside Naruto because he _chose_ to. Payback time thought Naruto.

Orochimaru raised a hand to protect his eyes as an explosion of red chakra erupted from Naruto's stomach and absolutely _shredded_ the five elemental seal. So that was Kyubi's power? It was... awe-inspiring indeed. No wonder Konoha was almost destroyed if something was entirely composed of this attacked.

"_This_ is the power of the Kyubi. And you teme just made a mistake. You managed to piss him off. Good luck surviving this baka!"

Before Orochimaru could gather his thoughts, Naruto was blasted forward, using the much superior youkai of the Kyubi to move at speeds higher than he ever did, reaching Orochimaru before the snake user could react. A rising kick sent the his enemy flying as suddenly Kage Bunshins jumped from all around him. Orochimaru had barely enough time to think 'Oh shit' before he realized he was out in the open with what seemed dozens of Naruto clones around him, their hands normal but cocked back as if preparing something. As one the clones wiped their hands forward shouting.

**"FUUTON! DAI KAZE RIN! (Wind Style: Great Wind Ring)"**

Causing what seemed like disc-shaped air displacements to converge on Orochimaru. For himself, he had barely enough time to recognize the discs as powerful, disc shaped wind jutsu and spin himself in the air like a snake having spasms, avoiding most. Some still cut him deep. At least it was over. Or he thought until he saw a shadow above him. Looking upwards he saw the real Naruto, bladed arm raised above his head, producing so much chakra that Orochimaru was stunned for a moment before realizing he had to move, _fast_, or he was dead.

Naruto clicked his tongue in anger as Orochimaru dodged most of the wind rings, but the combo wasn't over anyway. Leaping above the snake bastard, he reared his right hand up and began channeling fuuton chakra into it. It formed an absolutely huge blade of wind, extending his reach by about 10 meters (32 feet) and made a single downwards slash, fully intending on cutting the bastard in half.

**"KAZE SETSUDANKI! (Wind Guillotine)"**

Orochimaru desperately twisted, knowing the fate that would befall him if he didn't, avoiding being cut in half. Well vertically half that is. He didn't have enough time to get out of the way and was severed at hip-level. Naruto saw with pleasure in the beggining, then with horror as snakes seemed to erupt from the two severed halves, intertwining themselves and bringing them back. When Naruto fell back down, Orochimaru landed on his feet seemingly unharmed. Well from the last strike that is as Orochimaru was forced to shed another skin to recover from the multiple cuts of the wind rings, keeping in mind not to get blown sky high again, or he may not survive this again. Not to mention he was running out of skins to shed. Damn this brat. He'd have to do the marking now. Orochimaru smirked confidently.

"Well done Naruto-kun, well done. That almost got me too. Such raw talent, why oh why don't you have the Sharingan? You'd be my perfect vessel then!"

"As if I'd become your vessel you snake bastard. I'd better die than serve you asshole."

"Such a crude language... so... unrefined... I wonder if you're anything like Tayuya..."

"Enough talking teme. Its not over yet." Then in his mind Naruto spoke. 'I need to go faster... Much faster... Much much faster... faster... faster... faster...'

Inside Naruto, Kyubi had full knowledge of Naruto's body functions and let a hell-raising smirk. Oh this was going to be fun. The kit finally did it. In Naruto's body, his two hearts started beating faster and faster, synchronizing and sending a never-ceasing flow of blood to his muscles. In his mind, the limiters that prevented Naruto from utilizing the absolute 100% of his power were sloly lifted. Blood flowed in Naruto's body energizing him, making him feel amazingly strong.

Orochimaru watched in fascination as Naruto turned blood red and his veins seemed to pop out. Then he related it to something he had seen another Konoha Jounin do... his name was... Maito Gai and he had opened the... Eight Celestial Gates... Orochimaru's eyes widened as he reached that conclusion and before he could say 'Oh crap' he was assaulted by an enraged, youkai-powered Naruto that had could use his muscles to the absolute maximum.

Left, right, left, low slash, high kick, overhead slash, straight kick, bladed uppercut, roundhouse kick, scissor kick, blades from both right and left, a blur to the naked eye, the only thing that kept Orochimaru alive against this barrage of attacks, this endless assault that sent tens of strikes in a single second was his experience and flexibility. Orochimaru knew that attacking now would be suicidal, even for him, so he chose to outlast his opponent as surely it would tire him out fast. When the seconds passed and his enemy showed no signs of slowing down, Orochimaru was actually getting freaked out. If the brat's kekkei genkai meaning was literal... it meant he could potentially keep it up for minutes! If that happened, even Orochimaru's near tireless body would give in and fail. Orochimaru bristled at the possibility of dieing, he was a GOD! A being that had tricked both time and space! He wouldn't fall from a snot-nosed brat! He absolutely refused to die!

Finally after twenty seconds of blows that send Orochimaru reeling with their fierceness and speed, Naruto ran out of energy. Orochimaru breathed a sigh of relief at that.

Naruto fell on his knees, his blades keeping him up. Inwardly he wondered what the hell that was. If he could learn how to control this... then he could grow strong enough to beat the snake bastard and free Anko! Kyubi inside chuckled, the kit had found a way to become unbelievably strong in an istant and he _still_ thought only how he could protect others. It was what made Naruto so... Naruto Kyubi concluded. Nothing would surprise him any more decided the ancient being.

Orochimaru had had enough surprises to last him for years. Dediding to end the fight now he made a hadseal and used his elongated neck to bite a struggling Naruto on the neck. Naruto, who at the moment was desperately trying to stand up, was bit at the neck. The pain. Oh the pain was unimaginable, he felt like solid fire was flowing through his veins. Most people would have fallen unconscious by now, Naruto knew. However Naruto was _nothing_ like most people. Using his left arm that had transformed back to a hand to grab Orochimaru's head and keep it on his neck. Then he raised his right bladed arm.

Orochimaru was ready for the boy to collapse. His self-satisfied smile though was wiped off when he felt a hand roughly grab and immobilize his head over the Naruto's neck. It wasn't good. Then a blade flashed downwards.

Blood flew in the forest clearing Naruto and Orochimaru had made in their fight. A severed head rolled on the ground next to Naruto. It was Orochimaru's head.

Then the flesh and skin seemed to melt off the head and flow into the ground making a puddle, revealing... a snake's head.

Naruto cursed before he saw the elongated neck shorten and do something just as gruesome as what happened to the severed head. Orochimaru's head seemed to start pushing outwards from the now severed neck of the snake Sannin, in some perverted, gross, malformer and insane perversion of birth. First a huge bulge appeared in the neck, then the hair, then the pale forehead, the snake-like eyes, complete with the make-up and the smirking face was complete. Naruto cursed before struggling to get on his feet. The pain was really intense. Orochimaru chuckled darkly.

"You will come for me Naruto-kun, you will come for me for power. You will come to me and serve me as my faithfull weapon. Till next time Naruto-kun."

And so the Snake sannin left, smirking confidently, by melting into the ground. He never saw Naruto's smirk.

"Like hell I will teme, but thanks. You just helped me. Heh. Kami it hurts. Now to get to the tower..."

As Naruto turned to the tower, fighting the urge to just lie down and sleep his pain away, a shadowed figure landed in front of him. Naruto raised his right bladed arm at the figure before realizing who it was.

"N-Neko-san... Good to see you guys are here... I... I f-fought the damn snake bastard... Please... take me to the tower, my team should be there."

The cat-masked ANBU nodded and raised a hand to heal Naruto's small wounds and relieve the pain.

"I know Naruto-san. I met them on the way. We were sent to retrieve all the gennin. You're in pain, I'll relieve it and let you sleep."

"NO! DON'T! Don't relieve it and for Kami's sake don't let me sleep! The pain is Orochimaru's cursed seal! Don't take away the pain! Increase it if possible and keep me from sleep!"

"Naruto-san... if it is indeed the cursed mark then-"

"You don't understand! Let's go and I'll explain on the way. The pain will keep me awake. As for the mark, my tenant is already working on it. Neither of us likes being controlled so he's taking care of it. Besides there's another reason. See my arm? Its my bloodline... it helps me evolve and overcome adversities. I'll fight the cursed seal and defeat it. Then, maybe I'll be able to remove it from others. The Hokage knows. Just don't take the pain away. If I sleep the mark may find a way to my subconsious and utilize my hate. If that happens I might fall to the snake's influence so keep me awake till I beat that piece of shit."

"Naruto-san I still believe that-"

"Neko-san, you are intelligent, there's no doubt about it. But, I'm not exactly human am I? Besides, I know more about seals than you think. After all, I have completed several of Yondaime-sama's own seals. You can ask Hokage-sama. So please, _please_, don't take away the pain and keep me away. Stab me with your ninjatou at the gut if you have to. It won't kill me. Just keep me _awake_. I must not sleep. Not until I beat that damnable bastard."

"Very well Naruto-san, I shall do so, but if Hokage-sama insists I will perform the necessary proceedures."

"Yeah I know... thanks for helping me Neko-san. You have my respect for that. I owe you."

The ANBU used multiple leaf Shunshin to get Naruto quickly to the Tower where he'd be safe. She never saw the Oto jounin-sensei... Or his yellow, slitted malicious eyes...

**A/N: There you go! New chapter, great fight, some implications. Hope you like this one and forgive my cliffie. Otherwise I'd have to break the chapter in half. Better this way right?**

**So like it? Hate it? Suggestions? Review and let me know.**

**Jutsu explanation time as I haven't put them all in the other 'fic' of mine.**

**Kaze Setsudanki: Wind Guillotine**

**The user gathers a large amount of wind chakra on a blade or bladed arm, causing a long, thick and very, very dangerous blade of wind to erupt. A single slash is all the user has the time to do before it destabilizes and disperses but it is more than enough. Affecting a wide area, it is relatively easy to dodge as you can't keep it on for long and corner an opponent, but it is usually unexpected, stunning the enemy with the sheer size and strength of the thing before using that small time frame to cut them in half.  
**

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**Today, on this 9/6/2012, I, Soulblazer87, do hereby leave this site, possibly forever.**

**I shall not update this, or any other story.**

**I shall leave them on, however. Should you desire to follow my stories, do so in my new site of residence: www dot yourfanfiction dot com.**


	13. Chapter 13

_Chapter 13: Return to the Light_

Naruto was dead tired when he came at the tower. Immidiately he was taken to his team's quarters, while he was told why the ANBU was there for him. Apparently Sandaime had sensed Orochimaru's presence and sent ANBU to retrieve the gennin and bring them to the tower. The exam was sped up as well. All conscious and well gennin would be immidiately brought to the tower. It was too dangerous to let them continue. Unfortunately too few of them made it, even though not all of them died. It seemed Kabuto's squad did a 'clean sweep', taking out many foreign teams. They, coupled with Gaara's killing streak took out most of the competition. The surviving gennin were brought to the safety of the tower.

With their final member there, Team 8 sighed in relief, they were all safe. Well relatively. Hinata saw Naruto clutching his neck and went to help him before he raised a hand to stop her.

"No Hinata-chan, don't. I've got a reason. Shino get Anko and the others here a.s.a.p. _now_."

Shino sent out his allies to their allies and looked at Naruto, worried for his friend. It took the jounin and chuunin only a few moments to get there before placing themselves around Naruto demanding some answers. Kurenai was asking him what happened, Anko was asking if he got the mark, Haku was worried for his wounds and Zabuza... he was proud Naruto lived through Oro-teme's attack. He actually _cheered_ Naruto. Crazy jounin...

"Alright one by one. Haku, I'm fine if fine is hurting more and more with every breath I take. Zabuza, the fight was the most intense one I've had yet. Anko and Kurenai-sensei... Things are not very good at the moment. Damn snake... He actually marked me as his future vessel. Motherfucking snake-sucking bastard. Hurts like a bitch too. I can't even allow myself the rest of sleep for now either."

Naruto withdrew his hand from his neck and revealed the marked area. There on it was a pulsating black tentacled _thing_, like a parasite feeding off Naruto, trying to spread further and further over Naruto's body. The smell of rotting flesh filled the room. Hinata raised her hand to her mouth, gasping in shock. Shino frowned and Haku gasped. Zabuza looked creeped (which is seriously hard to do) and Kurenai freaked out. The worst reaction though was Anko. She hugged Naruto, apologizing to him.

Naruto hugged his adopted older sister back, calming her down slowly.

"Don't ya worry nee-chan. I won't fail nor fall. I've beaten up the Kyubi remember? I promise I will not let that damnable seal take me over. It just hurts like a bitch and screws up my chakra. I can't sleep either. But I'll beat it Anko. I promise. I will beat it and overcome it, just like everything else. I won't let the same asshole that hurt you, gain any sort of control over me. I'll defeat it and then free you nee-chan."

"Naruto... please... don't go risking yourself for me... please..."

"No risks nee-chan. I don't have to fight him again. I already did. And he fled. Sure he did it after marking me, but if I don't sleep until I take it off, I'll have won. When that happens, I'll free you too Anko. I promised remember? It just came around faster than we predicted. But I'll do it. Besides the asshole didn't come after me because of you so don't think about it. He just heard of my abilities and wanted them for himself. Damn gay pedophile."

"What do you mean Naruto?" Asked an interested Shino.

"Anko here has been marked by the bastard too. Unlike me though she never had youkai, which is destroying my seal. So even though her mental strength is enough to keep the seal from messing with her mind, the seal still remains and messes her up as well as marking her as a possible 'mate' for Oro-teme. Noone can take this seal off but me and even then I have to defeat Orochimaru in single combat without killing him. When we fought, the pedophile fled. In other words, he gave up, meaning I won. However I must not sleep until the seal is off. Otherwise it will take roots into my subconscious and we all know how bad things are there."

Hinata hugged Naruto to comfort him, while Anko kept hugging Naruto, still worried about his safety.

Zabuza was getting annoyed by that time. Sure the mushy stuff is needed but don't these people have a limit? Besides, hugging right now isn't helping things at all.

"So wonder-brat, got any more ideas for your seals?" Zabuza didn't have any interest in the matter but taking everyone's minds away from Orochimaru was important and he knew Naruto's fascination with seals.

And so the team stopped talking about a certain snake user, instead directing their attention to other matters, such as the surviving teams, their possible opponents and Naruto's favourite discussion apart from Hinata, seals. In the end Anko calmed herself down, understand that all they could do now was wait and Naruto would come through. Just like he always did.

The first day was painful for Naruto, but the second day was even worse. The seal refused to back off and leave him alone. Naruto had been constantly using his and Kyubi's chakra as a sort of constricting barrier against the thing. Meanwhile Kyubi had his hands full monitoring the changes in Naruto's body. The seal wasn't based on a human's power. It was based on something else entirely, quite possibly a hanyo or half demon surmised the ancient Bijuu. The pedophile was a scientifc genius though and managed to separate the DNA parts that made a hanyo, experimented on them and created the virus that in the end became the base of the seal.

So the days went on, Naruto being in constant motion so he wouldn't fall asleep, not that his aching body would let him. Finally the fifth day had come and the pain was worse than ever before. Everyone was worried until he explained them that it was natural. The more pain he felt the closer he was to removing the damn thing. That didn't mean Naruto had to enjoy it nor like it. In fact the pain was eating away at even Naruto's unbelievable pain tolerance.

It was the final day, all the possible chuunin had been gathered around the cetral stadium of the tower. The Third Hokage walked in the room, followed by all the previous examiners plus a new few new ones. The third began a long explanation as to how the Chuunin Exams have served as a substitute to war. Most of the gennin were looking bored with some notable exceptions. Hinata kept glancing at a wincing Naruto, Naruto tried to keep conscious and Uchiha Sasuke seemed ready to burn every weakling in the room. Sakura on his side tried in vain to calm him down, almost getting punched in the process, if Kiba hadn't stopped Sasuke telling him this wasn't the time or the place. Sure Kiba might not like the teme or his fangirl but if they had a problem they should take it outside.

And so the current proctor, an apparently sick man named Gekko Hayate, declared that there would be elimination rounds by skill in combat. More than a few complained, but the proctor shut them up saying that there would be many dignitaries from other lands. They could only present the best of the very best.

And so the loterry rolled. Uchiha Sasuke started it against Akado Yoroi, a Konoha Nin that had most of his body covered, wearing even Shino-like glasses. As the fight progressed, it became obvious that Sasuke was having trouble. The seal tempting him and his enemy draining his chakra was too much for the gennin aparently. Sasuke's seal began reacting to his hate and desire to not only win, but decimate his opponent. The room's jounin that knew about the seal's effects were worried, none more than Anko herself. She quickly tried to confront Kakashi on his gennin.

"Kakashi, withdraw him from the exams now. He's got Orochimaru's seal. Withdraw him and take him away now."

"Nonesense Anko. Yes he may have the cursed seal but I'm confident in Sasuke's ability to hold it off."

"Kakashi, you don't know the snake bastard as well as I do. Withdaw your student. The seal isn't a joke."

"Anko, if someone like _you_ managed to hold the seal off for so long, an Uchiha like Sasuke would never have the slightest problem."

"Kakashi listen to me. My seal is a prototype, a faulty one at that. The snake bastard probably completed the seal and I'm betting everything its even harder to resist than mine!"

"Anko, you're rambling. Besides, Sasuke is MY subordinate, not yours. You were incapable of becoming a jounin for _obvious_ reasons. You have no authority undestand?"

"Kakashi listen to reason damnit! You can't fool around with Orochimaru! At least seal it off with another seal."

"Anko, you're a mere tokubetsu jounin, and an interrogator at that, nowhere near being a leader. So just shut up and let me teach my gennin. Seriously I've had enough of you. So back off before I report you."

A voice behind Kakashi startled them both. "Report her to who, Kakashi?" It was the third Hokage.

"Hokage-sama, I wish to file a complaint. Mitarashi Anko here is constantly interfering with my teaching my gennin squad. She has almost threatened me."

"What? I never threatened you Kakashi! You damned liar!"

"Enough the both of you. Anko, calm down and go check on the perimeter. As for you Kakashi. You will use the best seal you know to seal off Orochimaru's Cursed Seal. While I trust your words, there is nothing wrong with being careful is there? Besides, left unchecked the seal will not only attack Uchiha Sasuke mentally, but also his chakra coils, damaging his control and reserves. Surely you don't want that."

Kakashi bowed to the Hokage and left. 'I will seal your mark Sasuke, I will seal it, but I won't cut it off completely. After all you're a prodigy like me, slightly misunderstood, but a prodigy nonetheless. Surely you won't fall to the darkness. No you will conquer it and become stronger and finally avenge your family and Obito. Then I will have repaid my debt.'

Jiraiya emerged from the shadows behind his sensei. "So that's how Kakashi has ended up huh... well gotta go take care of my godson now. I'll be keeping an eye out for Sasuke as well. I don't think Kakashi is being reasonable in this case."

"Very well. Go Jiraiya-kun and watch over Naruto. Though I'd suggest being careful approaching him. He didn't take it nicely when you left him here. He's worse than Minato, Kushina and Tsunade put in one. I'd suggest getting on the good side of his crush, Hyuga Hinata. She's the only one capable of stopping him."

"Heh so young, yet whiped huh? Then its gonna be easy. I doubt the brat could do much against me anyway." With that the toad sennin left to watch the fights.

The aged Hokage chuckled darkly when Jiraiya left, a chuckle only Orochimaru out of his three students had mastered. 'Should I tell him that Hinata is overprotective of Naruto? Or that he's Anko's adopted little brother? Ku,ku,ku, maybe I should bring a camera for when the beating begins.'

Back in the stadium, the crowd was left awing at Haruno Sakura and Yamanaka Ino. No they were not being awed by their skills or intellect, nor their beauty or grace. They stared at the stupid catfight over who liked Sasuke more and why they broke up their friendship over a crush. Naruto turned to the rest of the rookies.

"I believe I speak for us all to say that I am ashamed they are Konoha shinobi. Kakashi, Asuma, are you two for real? I mean I expect Kakashi's Sakura to remain a fangirl since you taught them nothing at all, but sheesh Asuma I had such high expectations, both from Jiji and Kurenai-sensei. I am seriously ashamed of you two being jounin."

Kurenai glared at Asuma and Kakashi before giving them a piece of her mind, in a lengthy tirade of how much they failed as teachers.

The next few matches didn't redeem the teachers as neither Chouji's fight with the Oto gennin with the melody arm, nor Shikamaru's fight with the Oto kunoichi, showed any improvement. As Kurenai repeatedly stated, Asuma just took them as they were in the Academy and just tossed them into the Chuunin Exams unprepared. When Kakashi commented that Asuma wasn't 'going to get some tonight', he was quickly made to shut up by Team 8's weapons being stategically placed over various parts of his anatomy. All three students had a weapon at Kakashi's genitals, with other placed over Kakashi's Sharingan eye,his jugular and spinal cord.

Naruto warned Kakashi to shut up, or the team would take measures he'd be late. Permanently. With the weapons being on his skin, ready to shed blood on barely a twitch, Kakashi reconsidered his words and actions.

After Kakashi apologized properly, Naruto withdrew from everyone and hid in a corner. He may not have given any sign but the pain was getting unbearable. He made a mental note to thank Anko for her help with conquering pain. In his mind Kyubi was finalizing the preparations, the ancient being having spent all this time breaking down that annoying seal. Warning Naruto that the time to break it was coming any minute now, he withdrew to focus on getting the damn thing off without adverse effects.

Naruto prayed that his turn wouldn't come now, but alas it was not to be. The names rolled and he would have to fight the Suna kunoichi, Sabaku no Temari. Grinding his teeth to block some of the pain, he limped down the stairs as the kunoichi preferred to leap down. The kunoichi stared down at him, arrogantly.

"My fan has three stars. No matter what you do, by the time you see the third, you will loose. Normally you'd at least make me work out a bit, but you're wounded, so you'd better give up before you get too hurt, chibi."

"Normally, you be safe Temari... Also normally I'd be able to fight with restraint. But the damn hickey I got from hebi-teme kinda prevents that." Naruto panted in pain. "No matter. I will defeat you. However I must warn you. If it seems I'm about to loose it, give up or I will kill you."

"Hmph as if. I'm at top shape and you can barely walk. Proctor, start the match."

The proctor indeed began the match. Up in the viewer's area, Anko ran to the jounin. "Be ready to interfere at any moment. Naruto's in a lot of pain and he might loose control."

Kakashi answered dismissively. "So he's gonna use the demon's chakra right? As expected of a Jinchuuriki. I'll ready a seal to cut it off, just be ready to save the little brat."

Anko seemed more worried every second. "Its not Naruto I'm worried and neither is he going to use _its_ chakra. I'm worried about the Suna girl..."

"Oh and why is that Anko-san? I'm sure she's good." Gai answered, calm for once, since, to see worry on Anko's face warranted a lot of care.

"Because Gai... in order to help Naruto deal with physical pain, I've helped him master Pain's Acceptance..."

Gai's eyes widened as he took a ready stance, seemingly ready to bolt out of the place. "That... that is impressive that he has mastered it but what's the real problem Anko?"

Anko looked carefully at him and said five words that terrified the Jounin. "He never mastered Pain's Embrace."

Gai looked terrified, drawing looks of confusion from everyone. Quickly he explained. "Pain's Acceptance is a taijutsu meditation where one uses the pain he is in to ignore said pain. In theory, no matter how much pain one is in, he wouldn't be slowed down in the slightest. Only death would manage to stop someone who has mastered Pain's Acceptance. However, there is a second level to this meditation. When in too much pain and in a combat situation, the user can enter a deeper state that is called Pain's Embrace. Instead of simply accepting the pain felt as a facet of life... the user draws strength from it. The more pain the user is in, the stronger he can become, easily rivaling my Eight Celestial Gates. The problem is that unless mastered... the user enters a berserk state where everything is an enemy. Coupled with the Kyubi's bloodlust, I'm betting Naruto-san is doing his best not going on a maddened rampage and killing everyone here. If Naruto is in enough pain to actually use Pain's Embrace... he can possibly fight on par with Hokage-sama. Kurenai, I'm sorry but your genjutsu would also be useless. The pain he's constantly in would cancel them out immidiately."

The Sandaime came up to Anko, looking at her terrified face. "I warned you not to teach it to him Anko! Now he'll probably fail the exams, IF he doesn't kill the Kunoichi, which just _happens_ to be the Kazekage's _daughter_!"

"Hokage-sama, I had no choice. He had been in enough physical pain already that he had already started using it subconsciously. If I hadn't taught that to him... He'd already have lost it a long time ago. At least now there are enough jounin here to make sure he doesn't kill anyone until he calms down."

The aged Kage sighed and told everyone to be ready to charge in on his signal.

Meanwhile in the Arena, Naruto tried to delay the fight as much as possible, knowing full well what would happen if he lost control. Unfortunately his opponent wouldn't give him that time.

When the proctor began the match, Naruto half-assedly charged Temari, the mark's pain limiting his motions, since he couldn't exert his left arm at all. Temari easily blocked his kicks, retaliating with her folded-up fan, using it as a club to hit Naruto on the stomach.

Naruto skidded back and grunted. This was making maintaining self-control very hard.

Then Temari proceeded to make the worst mistake possible. She opened her fan to the first star, swung it towards Naruto, unleashing a torrent of wind blades on Naruto.

**"Ninpou: Kamaitachi! (Ninja art:Scything Winds)"**

Naruto couldn't dodge it in time, getting hit by the full force of the technique. Even in one third efficiency, it was still very dangerous for most gennin. The Suna kunoichi gloated over her obvious victory.

"Hah see? We Suna shinobi are very different from pathetic Konoha shinobi like you! To have kunoichi like the previous two? Hah, they'd have died in the desert a long time ago! You're no better though, being unable to dodge a little fuuton jutsu like... this?"

Temari was shaken out of her gloating by something very very bad. It seemed Naruto, though he was hit by the technique, didn't fall. Instead now minor cuts covered his body. They were shallow, Temari noticed, they shouldn't be that shallow. However they hurt a lot, which had one unfortunate result.

Naruto drew upon his pain, embraced it, made it his own, accepted it.

"You bitch..." A raspy voice came from Naruto's mouth. "You dare gloat over defeating me? When I fought Orochimaru not five days ago? You think you're so strong huh? Well let me prove you wrong bitch, 'cause I'm going to KILL YOU!"

Fury, cold fury ran through Naruto's veins, wrapped around him, soothed him. Naruto's will withdrew into the deepest corners of his mind to face and defeat Orochimaru's seal once and for all. He had let it go on for far too long. On the outside though, Naruto's nails grew to claws and his teeth became fangs. His eyes turned slitted and red, glaring a hole through Temari. It was the calm before the storm and a violent storm it would be.

Temari suddenly found herself dodging an angered Naruto, attacks coming every direction imaginable. His spine bending in unimaginable degrees, she was being pushed back to the wall. Using her fan she managed to send a downwards **Kamaitachi** after a jump over him, managing to wound him a bit. However that didn't prove to be a good idea as Naruto in fact increased his speed. Not to mention the first wounds she had given him had almost completely healed by that time. Temari could only gulp in fear seeing the pissed off gennin that would apparently claim her life close in. Regaining her bearings by remembering her time with Gaara, she managed to didge in time with a it didn't seem to work that well on the crazed boy attacking her. Temari focused on dodging, seeing as one of Naruto stray punches went right through a wall, hoping the boy would tire at some point.

Inside Naruto's mind, Kyubi was using what little youkai he could safely employ to keep the damnable seal off. Naruto opened his eyes, to see Kyubi's power restraining another 'version' of himself. This version was dressed in black and white, with sickening yellow eyes, much like the snake Sannin Orochimaru. The figure looked at Naruto.

**"Ah Naruto-kun, how nice of you to come here. Please tell Kitsune-kun here to let me go. After all I can help you so much, you know that don't you? Strength, chakra, power, jutsu, I can give them all to you. The power to make your dreams come true, the power to make others respect you."**

"You mean force others to respect me right? The power to kill, maim, mutilate my enemies, drown the waves of hate in blood and gore. "The sickening copy reacted as if it saw a being of pure beauty before it.

**"Yes! Yes Naruto-kun! This power can be yours if you just accept me! Accept me and gain all the power you ever desired! All will follow the lead of Uzumaki Naruto!"**

Naruto lowered his head, his hair covering his face.

"Heh that sounds real nice... The power to be free of all bonds, to make others accept me... The power to make all bow before Uzumaki Naruto! Kyubi... release him."

Kyubi turned to his jailor/host/friend. **"What are you talking about kit! He's lieing! Don't fall for that obvious lie!"**

"Fox. Set him free. Now." Kyubi complied, knowing he had no choice in the matter. Naruto spoke again as Orochimaru-Naruto approached him. "Yes I can see it all now. Konoha, no the _world_ bowing before me! But... there is a small problem..."

**"And what would that be Naruto-kun?"**

"I don't want to be free of my bonds, for they keep me humane. I don't want to kill, maim and mutilate, for I want to guard my prescious people. I don't want others to bow before Uzumaki Naruto, for I am Uzumaki _Namikaze_ Naruto! And you piece of shit are standing in the way of my dreams! I shall not accept you snake bastard! I shall not kneel before you! I ordered Kyubi here to let you go for one reason only. So I can kick your ass PERSONALLY!"

Naruto raised his head while speaking, power emanating from every inch of his body and charged the fake him. The copy had barely the time to look surprised before being run through by Naruto's entire arm. It screeched in defiance but failed to hold together and fell to Naruto.

**"Heh atta boy. I'd have rid myself of his presence but I couldn't safely channel more power. Still nice to see the little annoyance gone. He was getting repetitive. Now go, your future mate calls."** Naruto bowed before the great Kitsune and left his mindscape.

Outside, Temari had a hard job dodging Naruto's furious slashes, being cornered more and more as each second passed. Suddenly it happened, her back hit a corner. Temari had barely the time to curse, as exhausted as she was and prepared herself to die as an honorable kunoichi. Of couse saying you'd die proudly is easier said than done, when confronted with a pissed off Naruto. The wall-destroying punch came closer and closer as if in slow motion, teasing her, and Temari gave in to the fear. She screamed and closed her eyes.

"NARUTO-KUN! YAMETE! (Stop)" Hinata shouted out, desperately, hoping to prevent Naruto from killing an innocent person.

Against all belief, Naruto DID stop. Those that could notice it saw something most intriguing; he seemed to be fighting with himself, muscles tensing to release that punch and destroy that impudent kunoichi that had the audacity to hurt him, while another part listened to Hinata's, his angel's, plea to stop. The pain-controlled Naruto roared, knocking everything away as he stumbled back. His hands went to his head as he screamed in pain, the bandages that held Orochimaru's mark hidden blown off, revealing the parasite's glowing form.

Dark, deep purple chakra exploded off the mark,swirling like a roaring flame around Naruto, obscuring his form. Orochimaru chuckled darkly, yes the boy was finally his!

Then to everyone's surprise another flame erupted within the cursed chakra. This fire was blue and glowed with more power than most could imagine, sending everyone scrambling in fear of the sheer power and emotion it contained. The dark fire resisted for only a second before it was blown away and destroyed. Naruto screamed as his body convulsed and mutated again.

Bone plates started erupting, tearing his clothes to shreds, covering his body, leaving his face for last. Drops of blood spurted to the ground by the force of the transformation. In mere seconds, where Naruto's form stood, now was a humanoid shaped being, covered in a matt black carapace, leaving the face uncovered. With a final tearing sound, a face-plate descended from the top of the forehead, covering it.

The being then _laughed_, a deep, dark sounding, full of mirth and glee laugh.

**"Arigato yo Orochimaru, thanks to ya I got this power. Sharpen your Kusanagi blade, Orochimaru, for next time I WILL KILL YOU!"**

Naruto turned to the scared-beyond-belief Temari. **"I don't suppose you still want to fight me do you? You're exhausted while I am fresh and your little wind will not even scratch this armor of mine. Go, it is not shameful to admit defeat before a stronger opponent if you use it to train harder. It is instead foolish to continue an unimportant fight such as this."**

Temari gulped before raising her hand and giving up. This guy was far too much for her. Naruto put his hand around her shoulder, holding her up before jumping upwards. Now that wasn't so impressive, but the fact he did it without pushing any chakra to his feet, and the fact that he wore what seemed like a 1-ton heavy armor, which was proven by the resounding booming sound and spider cracks on the viewers area when he landed, left many gaping at Naruto's raw strength. Most made a mental note to never piss off the blonde powerhouse. Lee and Gaara of course made no such notes.

After the awe-inspiring fight, it was time to continue the roll. The next fight was Kiba against Tenten.

The two duked it off with respect, neither giving an inch. Tenten unloading weapon after weapon while Kiba and Akamaru dodged and dashed at her, only for her to evade at the last moment. In the end it was Tenten's foresight that won the fight. She had used ninja wire to bind most of her weapons, using some to bind both contestants with a surprise attack before placing a Katana at Kiba's neck. Kiba submitted honorably, but swore that next time he wouldn't go down that easy. Tenten smiled before accepting the challenge and helping her two fellow shinobi, or well shinobi and pet, off the ground. The aged Hokage made a mental note to watch these two as they seemed to have a very good understanding of what Konoha was all about.

After that Konoha vs Konoha fight, it was time for a very nasty fight. It was Rock Lee vs Gaara. The sand-user grinned like a maniac before using a sand version of shunshin to appear at the arena, followed by Lee jumping off the rail, shouting about the flames of youth.

The fight left many gaping at the skills both contestants possessed, especially when Lee removed his weights and opened the gates. In the end though the green clad speed demon lost, his arms and legs encased by Gaara's sand. Gaara smirked demonically, ready to crush Lee's limbs when suddenly...

**"KAZE SETSUDANKI!"**

A blade of wind blew off the sand. A deep voice resounded, a feeling of oppresiveness looming over Gaara, making him respect the person saying this. Looking up he saw Naruto glowing with barely hidden power.

**"Restrain yourself **_**First**_**. Your foolish and brash actions give us Nine a bad name. Control yourself fool. Do not kill anyone until the final stage and I shall give you little tanuki a fight to remember. But if you kill anyone and I mean **_**anyone**_**, I will DESTROY YOU! You might be strong **_**First**_** but you're NOTHING before the **_**NINTH**_**. Now walk away and in the end we shall have our fight."**

Amazingly enough Gaara heard him. Was it because of Naruto's sheer presence, or Shukaku suddenly shutting up, noone knew. Only a few of the jounin knew what Naruto had made with his declaration. Lee went up to Naruto looking somewhere between angry, sad and thankful.

"Naruto-kun, while I do appreciate your actions, you should not have interferred with my fight. After all I was showing the power of the springtime of youth and..."

**"Lee, it is not I didn't want to see you fight, or that I underestimated you. However, if you had continued on, Gaara would have crushed your bones, preventing you from continuing on as a shinobi, something that would kill you, wouldn't it? Besides I did it for an additional reason."** Lee looked questioningly. **"Lee you can never be a ninja because you can't use ninjutsu."** Lee's shocked face had barely time to register itself before Naruto continued. **"However, you can become a great shinobi. A ninja uses ninjutsu and your inability to use them prevents you from becoming one. However, a shinobi is someone with the guts to go on no matter what. A shinobi is someone that never gives up or gives in. Therefore, you can become a shinobi. In fact, in my eyes you already are one, if you can keep going with all that shit against you."** Naruto placed a comforting hand on Lee's shoulder. **"There are so few of us left these days Lee. That's why I can't afford to see anyone loose to such a farce. Besides, the only gennin that could fight that teme on equal ground... is me. Everyone else here is cannon fodder. Maa don't worry, it doesn't mean you or anyone else is weak. Just that he has a different kind of power. That and he's insane. I'll just have to set him straight next round."**

After Naruto explained some things to Lee, they both turned to the final fight of the exams. It was then that Naruto realized who would be fighting. It was Hyuga Hinata against Hyuga Neji. Naruto turned to Hinata, placing a hand on her shoulder before giving her a hug. He whispered to her. **"No matter what happens I love you. But if that teme hurts you, not even Kami herself will save his sorry behind."**

Hinata hugged Naruto as well, before getting comforted by the rest of her team. Slowly she walked down the stairs. Neji was already waiting for her, believing she would be as weak as before. When she did come down, he looked at her in pure contempt, sneering at her before starting his monologue on fate.

"Give up cousin, you are weak. Spare us all the shame of looking you fight and just give up. You just can't win, regardless of being from the Main branch. You're just a dead-last failure that-"

"Will you shut up about fate alread cousin? It is really grating on my nerves."

Neji, and quite frankly most of Konoha's 12 were stunned by her words. Neji sputtered indignatly for a second before seeing her drop in the traditional Jyuken fighting stance. He smirked.

"Your stance is full of openings and weak. You will be taken down in mere seconds if you go against me. Not even the fabled Main House will save you this time you foolish child. Your destiny was decided from-"

"I said shut up didn't I? Yeah I know I'm going to loose. Do you know why _dear cousin_? No of course not, after all your eyes only see pain and death, you have shut them close to everything else, afraid of getting hurt. Yes I know I'm going to loose. After all I'm fighting as a Hyuga aren't I? I will give you that joy _nii-san_. But. This is the last time I fight as a Hyuga. After this fight is ended, either by me knocked out or giving up, I shall never fight as a Hyuga ever again. So enjoy this time Neji, because next time I will pummel you to the ground if I have to and force your eyes open to the truth of this world. Now come my cowardly cousin, do not shy away from your... destiny."

Neji charged, without waiting for the proctor to start the match, hands flaring with chakra. He dashed with amazing speed, aweing everyone looking at the display of raw skill he showed. Hinata tried to defend and managed to knock most blows of course, while the rest barely managed to wound her. However it was obvious to everyone that she held back. As well as that continuing on this path, would make her loose.

Neji stopped after a few seconds. "You now see you cannot win cousin. I have been targeting your tenketsu from the beginnning. Soo you will be unable to fight back and fall to your destiny."

"Yeah I know. I can see tenketsu as well Neji. Or did you think it was all luck? Foolish little cousin, so entrenched in hate, your eyes are blind. Now come, vent your fury on me, hurt me and punish me for something I never had control over foolish cousin. After all it is all my fault isn't it? Everything is my fault, just like you and my entire thrice-bedamned family told me righ? Answer me FOOLISH COUSIN! Blame me! Hate me! Fight me! I can only wonder what your father would have said blind fool!"

Neji had enough, with a warcry he charged at her, harder than before. However this time Hinata fought back. A dodge here, a weave there, a parry the next second, none of Neji's blows ever landed. Seemingly out of luck, she barely dodged everything he threw at her. Soon he was panting from the exertion. Why couldn't he hit her? Every time he was close, she would draw back, just _barely_ avoiding him. Then his world turned upside down.

Hinata fought back, unleashing a tempest of blows. All according to the book, but the speed... the speed was far faster than anything he had anticipated. Quickly Neji was being forced back by his weak and meek little cousin. Oh the irony. Hinata then did the unthinkable in a Jyuken match, she used a grapple. Quickly pinning Neji's hands behind his back, she kicked him behind the knees and forced him to kneel.

"The fight is over niisan... I give it to you." With that she flipped off Neji and began walking away.

Neji was confused... He had lost? How? When? What went wrong? How... how dare she... how dare that bitch that never experienced pain defeat him! This wasn't his fate! This was a travesty of his fate!

With a roar of anger Neji charged his cousin, even as the proctor had claimed Neji had won. Faster and faster Neji ran, closer and closer to his hated enemy, his hated cousin, the mockery of Fate incarnate. He rushed with a Jyuken to the heart.

Hinata never turned off her Byakugan. She saw Neji charge her. Quick as lightning she drew her tonfa. Her right tonfa went and threw Neji's hand to the side unbalancing him, then she spun like a dancer, lashing out with her other arm knocking Neji to the floor. With an infinitesimal burst of chakra, the Tonfa's hidden blades came forth, resting lightly on Neji. One poised to slit his throat and the other ready to rip out his insides. Hinata smiled semi-innocently at the proctor. "Gomen-nasai, my instincts kind of took over."

Hinata rose again, letting Neji get up. When he moved again, she turned around, her right tonfa letting sparks fly off the business end. Before anyone had the time to comment, her weapon struck poor Neji on the thorax, electrocuting him. He screamed before falling down again.

Gai sighed, Neji should learn to keep calm, when he lost it he became sloppy. Not that he didn't deserve the beating.

Hinata went back to her team as the Hokage announced the next round. Neji was put against Naruto, Shino against Kankuro, Tenten against Shikamaru and Sasuke against Gaara.

When everyone filed out of the room, Naruto gathered Kiba, Tenten and Lee to the side with this team.

**"Kiba, Lee, Tenten, I would like to extend an invitation to you. In the next month me and my team will be training heavily. Come with us and we'll all grow strong. Besides I have some things to share with all of you, seeing as you have the greatest potential I saw today. Not to mention you have started taping on it. Join us and we'll all train together. When the final stage is here, we'll all give them a show to remember for the rest of their lives."**

Kiba agreed, seeing as Kakashi wouldn't train him with the Uchiha passing on the next round. Lee slowly agreed, especially after seeing Naruto's strength. The training regime Naruto must begoing through must be at the height of the springtime of youth. Tenten was a bit apprehencive, as she would fight each other in the third round, but Hinata and Lee pretty much guilted her over to coming. Especially when Hinata showed off her tonfa's seals. They could barely understand how a serious kunoichi like Tenten could squeal that high when they remembered Hinata and cinnamon buns... It had been... scary.

Naruto and his team went off to change clothes when someone walked out of a side corridor. It was an old man, with white long hair, ridiculous clothes and geta. On his back was a huge scroll. He raised a hand in greeting.

"Yo Naruto! I'm the great toad sage Jiraiya-sama! Here to oversee your training and teach you how to become great." Naruto looked at the man before unleashing his, rather impressive, killer intent on the man.

**"Your also my damned godfather aren't you? Well I got you a gift, **_**godfather**_**. SENNEN GOROSHI! YAIBA STYLE!"** Then Naruto proceeded to perform a Sennen Goroshi with his arm blades. Jiraiya wisely ran off before hiding behind Hinata, in the hopes she'd restrain Naruto. A hope in vain it was...

Hinata spun on her heels before unsheathing her blades, stabbing the toad sage with her chakra-imbued, lightning-charged tonfa on the chest. The pervert was thrown in a wall, leaving a dent. Naruto grabbed him with his arm, before readying his bladed arm for a punshiment long overdue.

**"You're not getting away from me you bastard. You abandoned me to rot in here, left me to die, never checking about me, never caring. And now you come to me to train me? Well fuck you bitch, you're gonna pay. And I am going to enjoy every second of it."**

Jiraiya learned a lot that night. Interesting things, like how many poisons his body could withstand, how many volts could course through his body without loosing consciousness or the favourite place of chakra draining for a kikai bug... He cursed his luck when he realized why Sandaime said Naruto was a mixture of Kushina, Minato and Tsunade... Then he cursed even more as Anko, Kurenai and Zabuza walked in the torture chamber, with none to pleasing smiles on their faces...

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**A/N: I'm so sorry it took me so long to publish the next chapter! My Lady Inspiration ran off, probably due to the closing winter D:**

**Had to get my hands on some very nice spirits to get back on track. Ah well I'm not complaining. As always, review and let me know if you don't like something alright?**

**If the fic seems torn apart a bit don't blame me so much. It took me 3 weeks or so to write so I had to restart it every 2-3days. Really messed up consistency there... Sorry...**

**By the way, the two meditations, Pain's Acceptance and Pain's Embrace, I know them from real life. Learned them on my own too and can vouch for their effectiveness. Keep in mind that they are not masochism, you do not enjoy or feel pleasure or high. You feel pain and anger, focusing on one thing and one thing only, taking down your enemy. Especially Pain's Embrace, is a very dangerous state of mind, one that if not mastered, would easily cause you to kill a close friend. Luckily it takes a LOT of pain to enter that state. Do not try to learn these meditations, they are not pleasant or fun. Even Pain's Acceptance, doesn't send the pain away, instead it lets you accept it, make it part of you. So instead of your body instinctively pulling back from whatever harms it, instead it follows conscious commands, enabling someone to keep on fighting no matter the injury or threat.  
**

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**Today, on this 9/6/2012, I, Soulblazer87, do hereby leave this site, possibly forever.**

**I shall not update this, or any other story.**

**I shall leave them on, however. Should you desire to follow my stories, do so in my new site of residence: www dot yourfanfiction dot com.**


	14. Chapter 14

_Chapter 14: Gathering_

Just mere seconds after Naruto's fight with Temari ended, Orochimaru shunshin'ed outside, not even waiting to check up on Sasuke. To say he was pissed off would be one heck of an understatement. He was _furious_. Damnable brat! How dare he refuse him! How dare that insignificant, snot-nosed, foolish child refuse Him! It was _unacceptable_! He would pay. Oh yes Uzumaki Naruto would _pay_!

Orochimaru went to some of his best servants and slaughtered them. How dare they speak to him about insignificant things while the brat refused him?

Then Orochimaru's memories of what happened inside Naruto's mindscape surfaced... and Orochimaru reached new levels of fury. Entering one of his closest bases, he slaughtered everyone inside, tearing his own servants to pieces.

Finally after hours of venting, Orochimaru calmed down. The brat didn't want him? Then he wouldn't want the brat either! Sending for a messenger nin, he asked for re-inforcements. He wouldn't just kill the damn old monkey, he'd raze Konoha to the ground, salt the ground and leave it to rot! He'd erase its existence from the face of the earth! He'd remove it from the annals of history!

With visions of a burning Konoha, Orochimaru laughed darkly. He'd show them. He'd show them all. He'd make them regret not worshipping him like the god he was!

Back in Konoha, Naruto, Hinata, Anko and Shino were waiting for Lee, Tenten and Kiba in Training Ground 8. Kurenai had a small mission from Sandaime that would take a day to complete, but none of the gennin were worried about it.

It was early in the morning, as they had chosen to begin working as soon as possible. After all Shino or Naruto would come to fight Gaara and that wasn't a pleasant possibility. After all Naruto had told his team about Gaara's condition. No matter what Kakashi did, Naruto knew that Gaara would win. The point would be restricting the damage somewhat.

Naruto had a small 'talk' with his godfather last night. It was enlightening to say the least, when Naruto was told that Jiraiya didn't check on him as a kid because it would rob him of his 'research time'. That and he trusted Sarutobi to keep the villagers in line. After Jiraiya's punishment was over, he was filled in on what kind of life Naruto had led before his aquiring of his kekkei-genkai. Jiraiya's fury over it clearly told Naruto how sorry the man was over his actions. In the end Naruto forgave the old pervert, mostly thanks to Hinata pretty much ordering Naruto to. Jiraiya then made the unfortunate mistake of calling Naruto 'whipped'. A mistake that led to Hinata asking 'Naruto dear' to beat up on the pervert. Jiraiya quickly learned not to joke about Naruto and Hinata in any way, shape or form.

Thus, after Jiraiya-beating-time was over, Naruto tasked the aged Sannin to find a way to limit the Shukaku. Even if the war rumour was a mistake, seeing as Jiraiya's own spies had found little proof, a fight with the crazed Jinchuuriki was unavoidable. The pervert was overjoyed though when he learned that Naruto had taken up on sealing as one of his specialties. He was quite peeved when Naruto told him he'd have to wait before seeing the kid's own seals.

Now Naruto and his team were waiting for the latest additions to their gang. Finally they showed up, first Lee then Kiba and Tenten. Naruto greeted them giving Kiba a high-five, Lee a pat on the back and Tenten a smiling nod.

"Now that the gang's all here, I'd like to introduce ya all to our group's own headquarters. A 'pet' project of mine ever since I met Anko-nee-chan. We'll be better able to talk there. Come on follow me."

Naruto's team of course knew of the 'headquarters' but they had never actually seen it, as Naruto first finished something and then presented it to the group. The group walked towards the Forest of Death for a few minutes, going deep inside the surrounding woods. Naruto approached what seemed a rocky hill. Standing in front of one of the largest boulders he looked at the people beside him.

"Now this is the wonder of seals. You see, when I started out, I'd have to manually lift that rock. However, now I got a better way to do this. Behold." Naruto placed his hand on the boulder and sent a pulse of chakra through it. "This particular rock is a good channel for chakra. However it can't be used it weapons which is why people don't come here at all. Its got no worth after all. Not in my case. Behind the rock I've placed a simple storage array linked with a chakra recognition seal. When I pulse my chakra I can store the boulder without even touching the storage seal. The beauty of it is that you can't seal that boulder in any other way thanks to another seal I've got placed. So either you pulse your chakra or move the boulder. Since not many can do either, its pretty safe here. Granted not the best place, but its good for a change. Besides you shouldn't judge a book by its cover." True to Naruto's words, the boulder poofed away in smoke. Tenten jumped up and down in joy at the prospect of learning more seals. After all she had only two vices; sharp, pointy, dangerous and did we forget _real_ sharp things and sealing.

The tunnel was made of stone that was cut with an extremely sharp implement, reinforced by wooden beams. Steps led down into a darker area, one that opened up merely 20ft ahead. What was in the opened up area was anyone's guess though. As the group walked down, Naruto stopped at the last step and with his right hand searched for something on the wall. As soon as he found it he pulsed his chakra once and suddenly there was light.

"I can't very well bring electricity here so I had to improvise. A chakra pulse in the right indentation activates the lights of each room in the HQ." Naruto enlightened the team.

The first room was more like a hallway, leading to other rooms in an underground minature maze. Small bulbs provided comfortable lighting, while the air seemed strangely clean.

"Alright to the right we got the dining room and kitchen while on the left we got the rooms. My team's rooms have their names on the doors, Lee, Tenten and Kiba, you three can pick any of the free rooms. Put your stuff there and come to the dining room. We got lots to discuss." Said the blonde before he and Anko went into the dining room.

As the group dispersed, they found the rooms, each with a large desk, chair, a comfortable bed and dresser. The indentations for the lighting were ever-present, not leaving a single place in shadows. As soon as the group returned they found Naruto and Anko talking animatedly inside the dining room. Naruto gestured them to sit around the central table. Naruto smiled at the mismatched group of Shinobi.

"Now I'm sure you all have questions so better ask them now and get them over with before we start the torture... I mean training. Damn Anko-nee-chan, you're rubbing off on me."

The extended Team 8 laughed at Naruto's fake pout before they allowed themselves to relax. Well mostly since Shino would never allow himself to relax with people he didn't trust explicitly around him.

Tenten was the first to speak. "So what exactly is this place? I mean you didn't make it like last summer or something. You've put a lot of thought in it."

"Hai that is correct Tenten. It originally started as a place for me and Anko to escape when the pressure from the village became too much to bear. After a while it just grew bigger and bigger as I added more and more rooms. Thanks to my Kage Bunshin, its quite easy for me to make a month's work in mere hours. After a bit of time I just got the idea of an underground Headquarters for me and my friends, just in case we need to get out of town for a bit. You know when things get tough or annoying. So far it's been quite a good place to relax."

Tenten kept up the questions. "So what else is here? And how do you have electricity in here? You yourself said it isn't easy to get it here, so how do you do it?"

Naruto smirked a bit. "Originally the indentations were for torches and stuff. I changed it just the past few weeks really. Thanks to certain circumstances, I acquired Yondaime's final works on seals. I completed some of them, which I used to improve my team's weapons. One of them in particular, allows me to make electricity from raw chakra. I linked it with a storage seal and a couple linking seals and voila. I got us electricity. I just have to charge the place up every two-three days, but its not really that much trouble. As for the place itself, I got a pair of dojo inside, a couple storage rooms and an armory. Now the first section of the armory is open to all but you are under no circumstances to enter the second section without me or Anko with you. Its my personal workshop so no going in without my permission got it? There's also a central security room, again off limits most of the time. I have placed quite a few security counter-measures in there so no touching. Lastly I'm considering starting our own underground hot springs. I accidentally found a small underwater spring, which I think I can make into a warming pool. Anything else?"

It was Lee's turn this time. "Yosh this place is filled with the power of YOUTH!" The shout caused the whole place to shake as if during an earthquake. "However I have a question Naruto-kun. What was the youthful armor you revealed during the match?"

"That Lee... was my kekkei-genkai." Naruto seemed saddened by his admission. He knew the questions would come, but it didn't mean he felt nice revealing what he was. "You're probably wondering what I mean right? I mean normally I'd have a family and stuff, I wouldn't be an orphan correct?" The two new team members, as Kiba already knew this since Wave, nodded. "It is really a long story, a story that began thirteen years ago, on the tenth of October, the night of the Kyubi's attack. Contrary to popular belief and written history, Yondaime couldn't kill the fox. Instead he sacrificed his own soul to summon the Shinigami himself, having the powerful god seal the Kyubi. However, the Kyubi was far too strong to be sealed in an adult's body or a holy relic. The only way to keep the Kyubi imprisoned was by sealing it inside a newborn baby... As luck would have it I was the child selected by the Yondaime Hokage to become the living prison to the Kyubi."

Tenten and Lee were astounded by the story. As far as they knew, Naruto was a trickster, a prankster and a respectable Shinobi when it came down to business. Heck their own experience with him, revealed him to be a steadfast friend and a courageous shinobi. Naruto never gave them time to gather their own thoughts, continuing his story.

"The Yondaime's final wish was that I be looked as a hero for keeping the demon locked away. However I was a living reminder to the people of what they had lost, loved ones, parents, brothers and sisters, sons and daughters. So obviously, in their pain they never saw me as me, instead they saw the Kyubi no Yoko. When I was eight, as it was customary at that time, I was being hunted by some civilians. Most of the times I escaped, since even then I could outlast any civilian, but that time they seemed much more determined than normal. During and after the beating I received, the seal surfaced to heal my body by using the Kyubi's chakra. At that time a masked guy came and stabbed my with a chakra imbued sword right on the seal. While Shinigami-sama's seal is extremely powerful, it is also very vulnerable at certain cases. When the sword pierced me, it also pierced the seal and destroyed it." Naruto took a deep breath to let Lee and Tenten realize the weight of the situation.

"The demon could have broken free right then and there, but instead chose to fight my spirit, devour me and torture me for all eternity. Thankfully though, it was my mindscape so I had a huge advantage. Also some parts of the seal had remained somehow intact. In the end, I won, barely. However, victory would mean me absorbing Kyubi and submitting him to the same torture he would place me in. Alas though, mortals were never meant to hold Kyubi's power and knowledge in themselves. The way things were going, my mind would be obliterated while my body would explode in a burst of youkai, destroy Konoha, while Kyubi would be merely re-incarnated into something else. That never came to be however. Just split seconds before going insane myself, I used my newly acquired powers to bring the dieing Kyubi back, returning him his knowledge and power. In the meantime I sealed him again... this time in my own blood since I couldn't remake or repair the Shinigami's seal. As a result, Kyubi became mine and my family's... kekkei genkai. Thankfully, before I bound him I took care to remove certain parts from him, letting him come into contact with my spirit. I sort of cleansed him from his mindless hate and bloodlust, while letting him retain the full extent of emotions. Now Kyubi is more of a spiritual guide to me. He isn't evil any more, he is trully sorry for what happened and told me the truth behind his attack. Let's just say that while he IS partly to blame, it doesn't fall entirely on him."

With another deep breath Naruto kept up the shocking. "During my scuffle with the furball though, my body was exposed to immense amounts of youkai, demonic energy in amounts my body wasn't ready to accept yet. In return, my body began disintegrating, collapsing on itself. Being lucky in my own bad luck though, I survived but not untouched. My body became unstable, my DNA chain destroyed beyond repair. My own children will have that effect as well. Fortunately however, my instability is under my conscious and unconscious control. Whenever exposed to something damaging, my body adapts itself to survive it, whenever I tire myself out, my body adapts itself by making me stronger and tougher. It is the same way with Lee when he trains, only in my case its easier and faster. My conscious mind is in control of more 'active' abilities. I am able to shift my own form to whatever I wish, forming claws from my nails or an entire blade out of my arm. Only stipulation seems to be need. I have to need something to be able to form it for the first time, after that it is really easy. Of course there are limits to my powers but they are beside the point. Anyway, that 'youthfull armor' as you put it, Lee, was my body's reaction to so much harmful energy coursing through my body at the same time. I can manifest it any time I wish, however seeing as it shreds my clothes, I'd rather not be naked in front of the ladies." Narut finished with a lopsided smile, daring Hinata to blush. "Now you know of my secret. I will understand if you hate or distrust me. Heck I'd have problems trusting myself from your point of view, however I would ask of you to not reveal any of this to anyone. I entrusted you with my secret, I ask that you do the same."

Lee and Tenten were at a loss for words, the revelations in those last few moments were shocking. Looking at Kiba, they took notice at his sadness and lack of surprise, meaning he knew of it. If Kiba was still trusting of Naruto after the revelations, what were they supposed to be? Tenten turned to said Inuzuka heir.

"Kiba, you knew about all of this?"

"Yah, I did. Me and Akamaru were curious and quite honestly, scared at first. Especially after we learned of the fox's true fate. But, I'm an Inuzuka and I know Naruto isn't the fox, neither the current fox, nor the previous. I know Naruto's a packmember, I know I can trust him. If anything I shouldn't be loyal to the village after the shit they put him through. But if Naruto's got the heart to forgive them for all that crap, then who am I to judge. If anything Naruto has my respect and loyalty, fox or no fox."

Tenten was deep in thought, Naruto was the scroll holding the Kyubi, therefore all was fine right? However years of being told to hate Kyubi, hate Naruto, hate foxes, had been engraved deep inside her. She was having a lot of trouble making up her mind. Then she remembered Naruto's actions back when they were on a mission. She remembered him taking the blade that was meant for Hinata.

Lee on the other hand was thinking about Naruto's flames of youth. He admired the blonde powerhouse because of what shit he went through and yet still managed to forgive those that had hurt him. While creeped out by the knowledge of the fox, he still was adamant that Naruto was a good person.

Kiba was the one to break the comfortable, or uncomfortable for Naruto, silence that had ensued. "So why exactly are you teaching us? You got a plan right?"

"Yup I do. Its not just the fact that you have immense potential you're already tapping on, you also have the proper mentality. As Haku here would testify, a person becomes truly strong when they have someone they want to protect, a prescious person. However, one alone cannot protect his prescious people, no matter how strong he or she may be. I... I really want to protect some people. I am not loyal to Konoha, not after what they put me through. However, I am loyal to some people. As long they remain in Konoha, then so shall I. But I know I can't protect them at all times, I can't be there for them. That's what this group is for. We will protect each other's prescious people. The same people that accept us, without any distrust. They may be few, but for some of the people here, that's all that's keeping us from going insane. In inviting you in this group, I'm hoping you'll protect my important people as I will protect yours. That's all there is to it. Growing stronger for the few people that truly accept us, the few people that truly matter."

"What people are so important to you Naruto?" Asked a curious Tenten.

Naruto let a sad smile grace his face. "Teuchi and Ayame Ichiraku, because they were the only store to always let me in. Sandaime Hokage, because he always tried to help me. Iruka-sensei for caring for seeing past the Kyubi. Shino and Kurenai-sensei for accepting me as I am. Anko-nee-chan for showing me that the world isn't just pain. Most importantly Hinata-hime for loving me, even when everybody else would hate me. Haku and Zabuza too are important people to me, not only because they have accepted me but also because they are important to those that are important to _me_. I'd give everything for these people's happiness. That's why I want them to be happy and safe at all times, even when I'm not there. It's all a chain you see? Maybe, just maybe, this chain will bind the world in happiness instead of hate, as is the case now. Nowadays, people hate, feel sad, blame others. I don't like that, I want it to change. I want people to be happy, laugh and become better. I know it may never happen, but as long as my prescious people are just a little bit happier, I'm satisfied. After all they are everything to me."

Tenten was still torn, what Naruto suggested was great. A group of people that would care for each other, placing the well-being of others over their own. Still, Kyubi's reputation made it hard for her to accept it completely. After all, she had lost her own parents at that day.

Lee just yelled in his not-so-inside-voice about the flames of youth Naruto had been burning with. Turning serious he looked at Tenten. "Tenten! We must aid Naruto-kun in his youthfull quest to unite everyone under the springtime of youth! Such a burning passion should not be dismissed! We too must burn with the power of youth and protect each other's prescious people! Yosh! If I can't protect everyone, I shall run 100 laps around Konoha on my hands! If I can't do that I'll run around this hill of youth carrying a boulder on my back and double my weights for a month! And if I can't do that I'll..." And so Lee proceeded to list all the impossible things he'd do if he didn't protect everyone. Team 8 laughed good naturedly at his antics, the green clad gennin was refreshing.

Tenten soon found herself laughing alongside them. Thanks to the hyperactive shinobi, she understood the difference between the past and the presence. She had finally made up her mind.

When everyone calmed down, Anko began explaining the details to them. "Ok ya little brats, the third part is in a month, and we gotta make ya the best in that time frame. We're gonna work ya to the ground and then more. By the time we're done, you're gonna hate our guts, but you'll be kickin' names and takin' ass in no time. In other words, welcome to the BOOTCAMP FROM HELL! BWAHAHAHAHA!" Anko laughed at them, scaring Tenten and Kiba while exciting Lee (as if he'd get scared in the prospect of hellish training). "However, it ain't gonna start today, today's your free day so do what you want and enjoy life, 'cause tomorrow ITS ALL GONNA END! MWAHAHAHA!"

Naruto and his team snickered at Anko's exuberance, while Zabuza outright laughed in evil glee. Training gennin was so much _fun_!

After Anko's declaration, the discussion became more relaxed, discussing training over dango and cinnamon buns. How Anko and Hinata always seemed to get more out of a scroll when they had almost ended surprised all but their team. A couple of hours later Naruto turned to speak again.

"I know I'm kinda killing the mood now, but Anko... its time. We got a stupid hickey to get rid of. I would ask you to remain here except Shino and Hinata. I have need of your skills and ero-Jiraiya should be coming soon."

With that Naruto got up and left, bidding them all a good night. Anko hugged Kurenai, knowing full well the dangers of the coming operation. Then with a confident smile that perfectly hid her unease she walked outside. The atmosphere was quite somber for a bit before Zabuza broke it by beginning a discussion with Tenten on weaponry.

Meanwhile, Jiraiya came to the hidden Headquarters, to be greeted by a Kage Bunshin of Naruto. Nodding quickly, as well as noticing the seals on the entrance, the Toad Sennin went inside, following the clone. He was led to another room that seemed like a dojo before being led through to another room. This room was reinforced completely by granite and steel, making it ideal for highpowered fights underground. In the middle was a sitting Anko, this time without her trademark trenchcoat, skirt and net-like tube top. Jiraiya felt his 'inner pervert' wanting to come out and play, but he knew it was a serious time so he squashed said personality and got to work.

Hinata was busy laying out the tenketsu on Anko's body while Naruto began forming seals on Anko's naked skin. Shino on the other hand, had placed a veritable blanket of his kikaichu, ordered to cover the walls and absorb any excess chakra. Jiraiya got down to inscribing seals on steel, preparing the room for a one-of-a-kind operation. Anko for her part was trying in vain to calm herself down, emotions running rampant inside her, having very little clue as to what she should be thinking.

It took a bit of time for the preparations to be completed, at which point Hinata and Shino walked outside. Jiraiya, after completing the seals in the room, got down to helping Naruto finish up the seals on his adopted sister. It took almost an hour for the pair to finish writing the seals, seeing as the tiniest mistake could kill either or both participants at best, mutating them beyond control or imagination at worst. After making sure every seal was perfect, Jiraiya gave the green light.

Naruto stood over Anko's almost naked form, a grim visage on his face. Forming a claw on his left hand, he made a small puncture on Anko's own cursed seal. Spilling a drop of his own blood over it he intoned words whose meaning was long lost to humans, words whose translation couldn't transfer the deep meaning within.

"I Uzumaki-Namikaze Naruto, Jailor of the Kyubi no Yoko, the Ancient Guardian/Lord of Fire, hereby declare the union between Mitarashi Anko and Orochimaru void and null. I hereby declare the union forced and illegal. I call upon the powers that were, are and shall forever be to undo this union, free both members from their respective duties. I call upon Kami and His Holy Servants to release this forced marriage and set Mitarashi Anko free. I call upon Kami and His Holy Servants to punish the transgressor that corrupted the sacred joy of mating with his vile intentions."

Naruto chanted for an hour in the ancient language, keeping an even tone, even as he prepared himself for the coming pain. Slowly he formed a single claw on his left hand, which he used to slit his own right wrist, holding it above Anko.

"By the Ancient Laws that were before we were conceived, I call upon the reparations of an unjust marriage. I call upon the right to call Mitarashi Anko my own sister of blood. I call upon the right of Adoption in a Demonic clan. I call upon the will of Kami to grant my wish, as reparation to an age of pain and hate. Witness our hearts and judge us both, witness our hearts and see that my plea has no wicked motives, no vileness, no hidden desires, other than our mutual desire to a family."

Slowly Naruto brought his bleeding wrist to Anko's mouth, letting her gulp and swallow the thick liquid that was his own blood. Slowly yet steadily, pain erupted within Anko, from a dull annoyance to hot pain to searing agony, Anko resisted the urge to wail in pain. Naruto felt pain too, but his was nothing in comparison. In slow motions, he withdrew his hand, before making a small incision on Anko's hand. Since the cut on his wrist had healed, he opened a new on on his palm and wrapped his hand around Anko's so their wounds overlayed each other.

"Blood is power, blood is life, blood is duty. Blood is weakness, blood is death, blood is freedom. Within my blood lies power, a blessing and a curse. Within my life lies death, a curse that set me free. This blood I bestow upon you, to set you free as I never was, to bless you as I never was, to fulfill the whole in you. Let my power wipe your weakness, let my strength become your own, let my power be added to yours. Let you be my sister, in blood, flesh and heart. Let you be free from your bonds. Let you be stronger than you ever were. Partake of my blood and have my power as your own."

Naruto raised his hand again, this time using his knife like claw to cut off a bit of his own flesh from his right arm. Quickly, while it was still warm, almost pulsating with life, he placed it in Anko's mouth, forcing her to eat it. He understood that luckily by that time Anko had no idea what was going on due to her pain, otherwise she'd never have agreed to it. Again he spoke, this time kneeling next to the shaking form of Anko, wrapping her in a hug, his chakra and youkai flaring to life, seeping out of his body and into Anko's.

"Let my sacrifice, insignificant though it may be, give you power. Let my pain, little though it may be, take your own away. Let my fury, weak though it may be shield you from your own. Let my power course through you and give you life anew. Let my life grant you life anew. Let my flesh and blood give you life anew. For I swear before Kami, before His Holy Servants, I swear I will protect you, o sister of mine, with my life, with my blood, with my flesh and with my power! I swear that you shall not die from nothing but Father Time's passing! I swear to guard and protect you to death and beyond if I have to! Break free of your former bonds and become that which you were always meant to be! By the Honor and Duty of Uzumaki-Namikaze Naruto!"

The cloud of chakra grew in intencity, covering the two, obscuring them from sight, even as the seals tried to reduce and control the power coming off of them.

Anko felt her consciousness being pulled away, opening her eyes inside a new place. It was a huge forest, with trees that were taller than the eye could see, their leaves covering the sky, not day, nor night judging by the ambient light. In front of her a huge white snake slithered, its eyes a malicious yellow. Anko recognized it immidiately. That feeling belonged only to...

"Orochimaru. So this is you. Damn snake leave me alone."

The snake slithered forward, showing its true size to be several times Anko's own. "Yessss... hate me... hate meee... Anko... your hate givesss me power... Hate me..."

"Yeah I hate you, you thrice be damned snake. I hate your guts, but you ain't in control any more. You ain't got anything anymore on me. I am free of your clutches, always was."

The snake seemed to chuckle darkly. "No... you are never free... you will alwaysss be mine, as you alwaysss were..."

A booming voice sounded behind the snake as a huge shadow fell on it. **"Oh? Is she now? What am I supposed to be? Chopped liver? Stupid little snake, don't you realize when you've lost?"**

Anko looked up and saw something that terrified her, as much as it gave her hope. There above the white snake of Orochimaru was the towering form of the Kyubi no Yoko, a smirk on its vulpine face.

**"Boo. Scared ya? You shouldn't be Anko. You, little snake, on the other hand... I suggest running. After all I do so enjoy a good workout before LUNCH!"**

With a leap, Kyubi charged the snake-like representation of Orochimaru's will, jaws wide, ready to sink his teeth on a tasty morsel.

Anko looked on with something between amazement, joy and disgust as Kyubi caught the snake and proceeded to... eat it.

**"Ah nothing like the taste of flesh to charge you up."** *_Burp* _**"Oops sorry 'bout that. Now that the snake bastard's out of here, let's get comfortable right? Or well I will get comfortable, 'cause you're about to get in a shitload of pain. Ja ne, chibi-hebi-chan."**

Kyubi laughed at her as she started screaming in agony, the pain overriding everything she could do or think. Soon she had lost consciousness, deep in slumber. The fox sat on his haunches and aligned himself with his new pseudo-host. It was going to be fun, he surmised. Twice the hosts, twice the fun.

On the outside world, the chakra and youkai mix was finally dieing out, the seal on Anko's neck nothing more than ink, its miasma long since gone. Jiraiya walked carefully towards the pair, as Naruto carefully unwound his arms from Anko. Wordlessly, he picked her up bridal style. Opening the closed door with his left hand, he looked at the faces of his team-members.

Seeing the grim look on Naruto's face, Hinata and Shino feared the worst. They knew how much Anko meant to the blonde shinobi, loosing her would be disastrous for him.

Slowly however, the grim look on Naruto's face melted off to a happy, smile. Slowly he spoke to them.

"I present you, Mitarashi-Namikaze Anko. My nee-chan."

That was all Naruto had time to say before Hinata charged him, glomping him. Naruto faltered for a moment before dropping to his knees. Looking at her worried face, he smiled in a calming manner before kissing her.

"I'm all right. Just a bit tired. Ne, could you take her to her room? Nee-chan's pretty wiped too. Heh... I guess I overdid it again."

Hinata and Shino took the knocked-out Anko to her room, while the perverted toad sage took Naruto to his, all the while muttering about impossible blondes.

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**A/N: Woot, new chappie complete. I'm working on Kage's Exodus now, gotta plan it out since its so loose. An important announcement; knightstarlegend is coming back with his Shadow Strike fic, which is awesome by the way. He updated it multiple times per day before real life caught up. Give him an encore so he can provide us with more of his awesome fic.**

**As always, review and let me know what you think.**

**Now some things on this chapter.**

**Orochimaru might seem infatuated with Naruto to some. Which is true. There are quite a few reasons for that in fact. First of all, its the abilities that Naruto revealed, the whole wild, uncontrolled raw power he showed. It excited Orochimaru, who had always been looking for such a perfect body. Because, to Orochimaru, Naruto has a perfect body. Next is the scientific mind of Orochimaru. No matter how depraved and corrupted, Orochimaru is a scientist first, with immense IQ, capable of planning several steps ahead in anything. Lastly, Orochimaru has changed multiple bodies, something that has left him... sexually confused. He isn't gay but he isn't straight, mostly because he does not understand such concepts any more. I mean he is a man inside a woman's body, with a woman's instincts. After a point, he simply sees the world as a female. With Naruto having a perfect body, his 'female side' is attracted to him. The fact that even his 'male side' accepts Naruto as a prime example of masculinity doesn't help much. That's why Orochimaru lost it that much when Naruto rejected him.**

**The idea of Lee using physical and spiritual energy separately isn't original, it came from an old Highlander movie. During the movie Ramon (I think that was the name of the Spanish immortal that came back to life) gathered his energy and lifted a giant propeller without even touching it. I just thought it was cool, so I adapted it for use with Lee. I always thought Lee was special judging by what he got done. I mean seriously. The dude is awesome, he almost killed Gaara, something that Sasuke couldn't do even with his Chidori.**

**Lee's rants will lessen over time too. I find them very hard to write, not to mention hard to read. They will never go away, as they are part of Lee as much as Taijutsu is. Don't ya worry though, Lee's gonna be kickin' ass and taking names very soon.**

**Neither Naruto nor Anko are cannibals. However, as shocking a scene as it was, you should understand the spiritual importance of what Naruto did, the 'magical laws' he appealed to. Due to the connotations with life, blood and flesh are powerful mediums for any sort of mystical/arcane/magical work. Which is why I had Naruto do it, for I assure you I do not like the idea of cannibalism either. It is something I quite frankly find disgusting, but also something I can understand, even though I hate it. If you don't like the part, then skip it as there will be no mention thereof in any other part of my fic. Yes I know many parts of my fic are quite shocking, but honestly, its an M-rated fic. It is bound to happen, just like the massacre scene in Wave. I apologize to any readers who are offended by it. If it proves something that many of you can't get over I will edit it out.  
**

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**Today, on this 9/6/2012, I, Soulblazer87, do hereby leave this site, possibly forever.**

**I shall not update this, or any other story.**

**I shall leave them on, however. Should you desire to follow my stories, do so in my new site of residence: www dot yourfanfiction dot com.**


	15. Chapter 15

_Chapter 15: Silence Before the Storm_

Orochimaru was angry. This much was a fact. There he was, finally managing to fall asleep after the brat refused His Power, and he already had a nightmare. It started with him in his white-snake form trying to eat Anko. While he didn't feel as strong as he did for her, he still wanted her. Then a fox, a bloody nine-tailed fox came up from behind and _ate_ him. It bloody _ate_ him. Orochimaru then woke up with a start and insane pain, as if he really got eaten up. Same feeling he got when Naruto-k... - no the brat, the damnable brat, refused him. Orochimaru screamed in pain as his entire body felt like being burned alive. When it stopped, as if by instinct, Orochimaru reached up to his fangs to find the storage of his poison for the cursed seal. Nothing. Empty, no not even empty, it was there just burned away. Orochimaru roared in anger, half a dozen years of hard work _gone_, just like that. Damn that brat! Damn that blue-eyed, blonde brat! Damn it! Damn it to the seventh layer of hell for not accepting Him!

Anko was in pain, that was just about everything she knew at the moment. Time, scent, touch, taste, position, nothing meant anything any more. Just the pain she was in. Slowly, the pain receded, after what could have been an eternity for the Snake Charmer. Anko opened her eyes slowly, the pain and stiffness still present. She began taking in her surroundings. Soft bed, check. Blanket, check. Complete darkness, check. She was in her room, the smell confirmed it. Smell? She thought in a daze. Yeah, she could smell it, smell herself, the scent permeating the room, giving her a much needed sense of safety. Slowly she raised her hand at the indentation she knew was on the wall and pulsed her chakra. A huge amount came, much more than she was used to. Not just that, but it came... easily she supposed. It flowed much easier than before, when she had to actively push it. She had no time to think about it as the lights came on and...

Anko cried out in pain. Searing, white pain shot through her eyes. Damn what did she do? Play 'glare' with the sun or something? As her eyes adapted to her surroundings, Anko realized a lot of different things about her. She felt calmer, the urge for blood now almost completely gone. Her chakra flowed easily, obeying her every command without hesitation. Her muscles felt like a perfectly calibrated machine, like she could just jump up to the Hokage monument and down again easily. Her senses fanned out sharper than ever before and she could make out every detail in the room. Even the slight, nigh unfelt pains she had due to her job as a shinobi, the pains that marked her dangerous life had disappeared. Anko breathed in and almost gasped in surprise. She could smell what food she had eaten two whole days ago. Of course most of it was Dango but she could tell the kind by scent alone. Yummm dango...

Shaking her head Anko got back on track and tried getting up. She got up easily enough, no surprise at that. What surprised her though was when she tried to make way for her trenchcoat. Anko blinked in surprise. When did she get over there? One moment she was sitting on her bed, the next she was 20 feet away next to her trenchcoat. She was even more surprised when she realized she could see perfectly during her near instantaneous transision. No blurry vision, no lost time, no tunnel vision, no nothing. Everything was as sharp as when she wasn't moving at all. Donning her trenchcoat, Anko made her way to the door, hoping to get some answers from the blonde blob of energy she called otouto, even if she never said it out loud.

Anko opened the door to nearly collide with Hinata that was at the time carrying a huge tray with food. Seems like poor girl wanted to bring her food. Anko damn near made a river out of her drool. She hadn't felt that hungry in a long, long time. Quickly gulping the saliva down, Anko looked at Hinata the same way a starving tiger would see a person keeping food away from it. Hinata wisely handed her the tray and backed off. Immidiately the grand battle of Anko vs. Food Tray began, with Anko completely demolishing the mighty Food Tray. After the grand fight was over and Anko had cleaned herself enough to be at least somewhat presentable, she picked up the tray and went to the dining room, where she could smell even more food coming from. Once again, Anko began salivating.

When Anko entered the dining room, all discussions stopped as they eyed her carefully. Hinata had already prepared a second serving of breakfast for her. Naruto smiled at her before swallowing his food and speaking to her.

"Heya there nee-chan. How do you feel? Hope the furball didn't annoy ya too much. Have a seat and some more food. You're gonna need it."

Anko didn't need to be told twice and dug in. Where she capable of logical thoughts above 'food now', she would have been astounded by how much she ate. She devoured food quickly, without even feeling full. And damn did food feel great! It was the best she had tasted since forever, her tongue tingling with the various tastes. When after more than an hour of crazed feeding, Anko calmed her rumbling stomach enough, she turned a questioning eye to Naruto.

"Oi gaki, what's going on? I don't feel like myself no more. How did the unsealing go?"

Naruto smiled warmly to her, before answering.

"Well I'm proud to say it went great Anko. I broke your seal and managed to link Kyubi with you. He should have upgraded your body quite a bit, considering you now share my kekkei-genkai. Even if you probably have a different aspect of it. Thanks to Kyubi, I got an affinity for foxes, while you got one for snakes. You will probably develop different abilities, but other than that its the same. You're my sister now. My _little_ sister." Naruto grinned mischievously at Anko with that last statement. Ignoring the daggers Anko glared at him, Naruto continued. "Point is that Kyubi got rid of all nasty side-effects of the stupid seal and fixed your body up to what it should have been. Of course that caused some discomfort, but it should pass."

"Well yah that explains some things, but damn how long have I been asleep? I ate near my own weight in pancakes, dango, eggs and onigiri. Seriously brat. What else is going on?"

"Heh, well for starters, you only slept one night. With Kyubi jump-starting our bloodline, he wasted a lot of energy, which you just got back via chomping down all that food. Don't ya worry, our metabolism is insane, nothing's wasted nor do you get any fat. You're gonna have to cut down on the dango now, instead eating lots and lots of meat. Like it or not, its necessary to us now. You'll also have to work on your chakra control a bit, mostly to get a better feel for it. Kyubi told me that your seal had messed you up real good. He said you couldn't safely draw more than half your chakra. Now that you're fixed, you'll probably need a day or so to readjust. Next up is your reflexes and senses. We got a knack for sharp senses, much like the Inuzuka, only ours span the entire collection. You're gonna have to work a bit on them, Kyubi's telling me you've subconsciously tuned them down so you don't get sensory overload. Last but not least... its power training. If you thought we'd be the only ones to train, you're dead wrong nee-chan. You just opened one can full of whoop-ass and you gotta learn to use it properly. It's going to be fun though. Well for me, since you'll just be on the receiving end of a beating." A feral grin etched itself on Naruto's face, feral enough to make everyone cringe. "Don't worry nee-chan, I won't kill you. Hopefully. Unfortunately though... you won't be alowed to use chakra while I'll be going all out against you. Welcome to Bootcamp from Hell right? Bwahahaha!"

This time the entire, extended, team 8 laughed at Anko's misfortune. Or well until Naruto stopped them.

"Why the heck are you laughing? We're gonna work twice as hard. Can't let my _cute little sister_ get better than us now can we?" Groans greeted Naruto's statement. It was a little known fact, but Naruto enjoyed training as much as, if not more than, Lee. Couple that with a sadistic sibling that was obviously rubbing off on him and... well he gives a new meaning to the words 'rough love'.

"So what are we going to train in now?" Asked Kiba, drawing shouts from Lee due to his 'youthfullness'.

Zabuza replied this time. "Well we're gonna run you ragged with physical training and chakra control for the first week. At the begining of the second week, you're gonna pick your own weapon and have wonder-brat here improve it." Zabuza gestured towards Naruto. "Then its specialized training. Tenten will probably train with me, Kiba with Haku and Lee with Naruto, since he's pretty much the only one that can handle ya brat."

At that moment Tenten interrupted them all as she had just realized that Zabuza had said something about picking their own weapon and Naruto would be improving it. With stars in her eyes, she jumped at him grabbing his hands, repeatedly asking him what he'd make for her. Of course the event caused everyone to sweat-drop, well everyone except Lee who was screaming about flames of youth.

Zabuza was irked by the interruption a bit but continued on. "Shino will probably train with Anko and Hinata with Kurenai. Of course the other way works too. Now after you're done here, we'll start with a good warmup while Naruto shows his imouto the ropes." Zabuza chuckled at the glare. "So after your stomachs have settled enough let's get going. We got lots of work to do, so make sure you keep up."

An hour passed in relaxation and random discussions, before Naruto got up with Anko following.

"Come on imouto-chan. Let your aniki show you the works." Of course Naruto had to run off as Anko screamed bloody murder.

Naruto led Anko to their normal dojo. Once there he stopped and pretty much halted her with one hand.

"Alright sis, now we gotta work on a few things. We'll start with wall walking and move our way up the chakra control excercises. Remember, you have more than two times your chakra now, so don't push it ok? After that, its reflexes training and I hope you're up to it or your trenchcoat is gonna be dust."

Anko grumbled a bit before starting the chakra control training. Of course, having done them before, it was easy for her. It was just boring to do them all over again. What never ceased to surprise her though, was the _ease_ with which the chakra flowed outwards. She felt raw power at her fingertips and realized just how much Orochimaru had messed her up. She had almost made it to the top of the wall before a voice sounded in her head.

**"Well lookie here, chibi-hebi-chan's pretty good with her control. Looks like its not gonna be a waste of time."**

Anko yelped in surprise before her control faltered and fell down on her ass. Naruto on the other side of the dojo laughed as a camera flash blinded Anko. Anko falling on her ass during _basic_ chakra control? Priceless.

"What the fuck gaki? What was that noise?"

Naruto laughed harder before trying to speak. "That... hahaha... was probably... hehehe... Kyubi...hahaha... Oh god my ribs..."

"Ky-Kyubi? What the heck? What did you do to me damn you?" Anko was officially freaked out. It isn't everyday you learn a demon lord, correction, _the_ demon lord can speak to your mind.

"In order to remove the seal, I had to infuse you with youkai. Wherever Kyubi's youkai goes, he goes. He can be irritating sometimes, but when he's got something to say, you better listen well, cause there will always be a reason. That or he might decide to pull a prank on ya. You can never know. Damn fox is too good for it. That and he's a perv. If he starts complaining, go into your mindscape and make him some vixens or family-sized rabbits. He'll shut up."

"Oh great I have a perverted, perpetually hungry giant demon fox in my head. Meanwhile I gotta start on chakra control from step one. Whoop-dee-fucking-doo."

Naruto chuckled at his sister's antics before helping her continue her excercises.

Meanwhile, Zabuza was torturing... err, training, yes _training_ the rest of the rookies. Even Lee had started getting tired by the sadistic jounin. The highlight of it all? He forced both Kurenai and himself to go through with the training. The look on her face was unbelievably funny. Still she swallowed her curses and followed suit with the rest. From running circles around a forest clearing, to push ups, sit ups, crunches and what have you, Zabuza worked them to the bone. Heck even he was getting a decent workout and that was saying something. He was pleasantly surprised by the gennin though, they actually managed to keep up. They complained of course, but they didn't give up and stop, they went on and on, no matter how tired they were. Oh this was so much _fun_!

The next day, Naruto had his sister sharpen her reflexes. Of course, taking a page from her book, he did it by throwing tens of kunai at her at random intervals, from multiple angles. Now add a **Kunai Kage Bunshin** with Naruto's reserves and you get a training regime that would leave most jounin staggered. At least Anko realized, and subsequently loved, the regeneration she acquired. She could get literally skewered and jump right up the next minute.

It was the third day that things got tough for Anko. It was time for her to train in her kekkei-genkai and that meant one thing; a no-holds barred fight with Naruto. Well _mostly_ no holds barred, as Anko was forbidden from using her chakra, which put her in an insane disadvantage.

Anko charged Naruto with her fists. Naruto simply leaned back at an incredible degree, before his right foot came up from below Anko throwing her back. He then performed a handstand, which he improved with a spinning kick before jumping up and rightening himself. He looked at Anko with sadness.

"Come on Anko, get up. Don't tell me that's all you've got. Are you really the woman I took as my own sister, the woman I sword to protect? Or are you just a lackey of Orochimaru's?"

Anko growled at the insult, struggling to get up, but her body wouldn't listen to her. "I'm trying damn it. I'm trying but you're not making it easy."

"It was never meant to be _easy_ Anko. Don't you always say that? Or are you just a hypocrite? For all your supposed hate, you do take after a snake like Orochimaru after all."

"SHUT UP! SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP!" Anko raged, her anger almost overriding her conscious mind, something she was doing her darndest to prevent.

"You see Anko... that's your problem. You're fighting it. You're fighting your instincts. We're _predators_ Anko. We're fighters. As long as you refuse your instincts, you are going to be weak. If you want to make me shut up then _get off your ass and MAKE ME!_"

Chakra flared from within Anko as she slowly got up.

"I told you to shut up DIDN'T I? Fucking brat I'm GONNA KILL YA!"

Anko took her previous position, not even realizing the changes going on inside her body, changes that Kyubi did take note of though. Her eyes changed, becoming slit like a cat's, enabling her to see better, her bones relaxed and shifted. No longer did she possess the large, long bones of a human, now her bones were more like the body of a snake, even her arms and legs. Powerful muscles covered the new sceletal structure, strength skyrocketing. Kyubi chuckled as he spoke to Anko.

**"Let's see how the brat handles you now chibi-hebi-chan. Go get'im!"**

With a grunt Anko launched herself at Naruto, her new limbs striking out much faster than before, with either whip like clawing motions that drew blood with her newly sharpened nails or precision jabs that could break bones and dislocate arms. Naruto smirked, falling on the defencive, further leading Anko on. It was just what she needed to get better. Blocking, parrying and weaving, Naruto evaded most attacks while getting only a few claw marks on his arms from Anko's lashing nails. Of course, judging by the fact that his skin could stop a kunai with ease, it meant she either channeled fuuton chakra, or more probably, activated a shorted version of his own claw ability. Then with a sudden burst of speed, Naruto lashed out with a kick, taking Anko's breath away from the strike to her sternum.

Anko flew back before righting herself mid-air and using the wall itself as a springboard to lash out to Naruto like a cobra, a strike that, had Naruto not used his own superior eyesight, would have gotten his throat ripped off. Even then, Naruto just barely managed to duck the worst, instead only getting his eye brow literally ripped off. Naruto cursed before bringing out the big guns. Quickly he formed his claws, once again fighting Anko, pushing her to the wall, forcing her to evolve. Slowly yet steadily, Anko's sharpened nails grew bigger and bigger, now only slightly shorter than Naruto's own. However what they lacked in size, they made up for immense speed and sharpness, something Kyubi was very quick to warn his original host about.

Naruto got a slash on his forearm before disengaging and jumping back. Slowly he brought it to his lips and licked the blood off. The taste of his own blood on his lips, Naruto gave Anko a glare that promised one of two things. Either a death so fast you wouldn't know till Shinigami bagged you up, or one so slow and painfull, you'd _beg_ for the Shinigami to come and bag you up. With a feral roar, Naruto's features changed to a more animalistic set-up, eyes becoming bloodshot and slitted, muscles bulging, nose flaring open, ears sharpening, skin becoming more rigid. In mere seconds, Naruto was in combat mode and charged Anko.

Outside the steel and granite reinforced dojo, shouts, screams and yells drew everyone's attention. When Tenten made to open the door, concerned about her team-mate's safety, Jiraiya stopped her.

"Its their fight now. No interfering or they'll gang up on you. Let them work it out. Trust me, if that kid has half Kyubi's tenacity, he ain't gonna die even if you put him through a meat grinder. Let'em sort it out like siblings. I'm guessing this is just a friendly bout, nothing to worry about." Spoke the aged Sennin. Of course, if he were watching the actual fight, he _might_ have sung a different song.

It took hours for Naruto and Anko to finish their little scuffle. By the time they got out, both were covered head to toe with blood and fading scratches, had about 75% of their clothes torn to bits, were dead tired and unbelievably both sported identical huge grins. Hinata sighed upon seeing them before getting them a new change of clothes.

While food was being prepared, Anko made sure to show off a bit and revealed her brand new 'kick-ass' claws. Naruto laughed at her claims that they cut the meat better than any knife she had met till that time.

The week processed slowly, with ever-increasing physical and chakra workouts for most, intense, true all-out fighting for Anko and Naruto. By the time the week was over, Anko had managed to acquire her heat-sight, something she showed amazing talent in, as well as poisonous fangs and her own version of the armor ability of Naruto. Where Naruto's armor was consisted of mostly large plates interlocking with each other, Anko's version was more reminiscent of a snake's scaly skin. Kyubi theorized that the powers adapted themselves to the owner's own thinking. Naruto was a powerhouse, depending on his strength first, his speed second. Therefore, his version was tailored to him being able to withstand immense punishment and tire out the enemy before disengaging and quickly taking out the tired enemy. In Anko's case however, the lack of speed and finesse would be devastating, so Anko's skin adapted to allow as much protection as possible while maintaining maximum maneuvrability.

As the team progressed, Naruto finally gave the three new members entrance to the armory. Tenten squealed in joy before going in, while Kiba smirked. Lee graciously tried to deny, but Naruto dragged him along anyway. Once inside, they saw the walls lined with various types of weapons, from the more standard, like wakizashi and tanto, to the more exotic like polearms and even a tetsubo (a metallic staff with a thick spiky 'business end'). Tenten almost leapt at them before Naruto restrained her.

"Now now, Tenten, I know you love them, but show some restraint. Besides there are the 'basic' weapons. While all are of high quality, they are ordinary in anything else. Follow me to my personal stash."

With these words, Naruto showed them in the next room of the armory, one of the few rooms the new members hadn't entered yet. As a room it was larger than any other. It had a library covering one wall with a desk in the corner next to it. On the desk were a number of scrolls and books with calligraphy supplies. On the walls were placed a few weapons while on an armor stand was a samurai-like armor. Naruto took the chance to explain them some things.

"While I am not as good a seal master as the Yondaime was, I am good enough to be able to improve some weapons. In here I've got some of my experiments, some failed, some successful. A couple of these experiments are dangerous in the wrong hands which is why I forbid you to enter. It could very well turn lethal for you, which I obviously don't want. Now wait one second ok? Haku, could you come over here?"

As Haku walked up to Naruto, he took a certain katana off the wall stand. Its sheath was a gentle light blue color, same with the hilt wrapping. The tsuba (guard) was a silver star shaped like a snowflake. With slow, almost reverent motions he presented it to Haku.

"This is quite possibly the hardest weapon I've ever had the pleasure of making. I've finished my freezing array and used it on this sword in two separate areas. Now here's the specs of this piece of art. Just like all my works, this blade will not rust or blunt. It is made of chakra conductive material so you can use fuuton easily. I have also placed an advanced storage seal on the blade, already filled with water for use with your techniques. The freezing array can make sure you use a hyoton almost immidiately or give frostbites to your enemy. On the butt of the blade lies another seal. This one hides a chain with a crescent blade on the end. While it is sharp, it's best used to wrap an enemy and freeze them through the array on it. Thanks to my advanced storage seal, you can also regulate how long the chain will be. Now all that remains is locking in your chakra so noone will be able to use it apart from you and giving it a name."

Haku and Zabuza were stunned, this weapon was one badass piece of work. Tenten was almost ecstatic at the thought of receiving a weapon like this, I mean if he can do all that with a sword, there will be no limits! Sharp and pointy weapons ahoy! Not to mention he spoke of an advanced storage seal. Tenten almost creamed there and then at the possibilities Naruto was hinting at. Lee was stunned as well, who knew seals could harness that much power. Shino on the other hand was very happy. With such a powerful weapon, Haku's security was all but assured. Kurenai felt a bit jealous at the weapon and wished she could get something as good as this while Hinata was much, _much_ more jealous. She was Naruto's girlfriend after all, she was supposed to be the one Naruto would get her the best weapons. She'd make sure to save him a very good pout in payback. Anko giggled in excitement, Haku always was good speed practice, with this blade at her side, she'd be even better!

Naruto again took the lead again. "Now I want you people to look around and tell me if there's something that interests you. If not, give me an idea and I'll make a weapon tailored for you ok? Oh and under _no_ circumstances are you to touch the black sheathed sword. Understood?"

Lee, Kiba and Tenten nodded before going to check all these weapons. Well Tenten was more like dragging the others with her. Meanwhile Zabuza, Haku, Anko and Team 8 were gathered around Naruto for ideas to improve their weapons even more. Anko came up with the excellent idea of making a weapon thinner while maintaining the same mass. Paper thin weapons with the mass of the original? Instant bloodbath in the case of people like Zabuza.

Meanwhile Tenten split up with the boys, hopping from sword to sword like a kid on sugar overdose. Eventually she got up to a black sheathed sword, lieing apart from the others. It was beautifully made as far as she could see. Slowly, tentatively lifting it, she weighted it, finding it had perfect balance. So why exactly did Naruto ask them to stay away from such an expertly made sword?

'Bah, he's just overreacting, there's nothing wrong with this beauty.' Thought Tenten. Slowly, she unsheathed the blade. It was a beautiful, shining black blade. A small red dragon was engraved on the base of the blade, almost burning with power. Tenten diverted her attention to the black-wrapped hilt and gripped it. She then turned to Naruto.

"Oi, whiskers, what's wrong with this blade? Its pefect!"

Everyone saw Naruto's eyes widen in fear before leaping forth screaming. "Tenten! No!"

He didn't make it though to Tenten as she was swallowed up by a black and red colored chakra, so strong that it was easily visible to the naked eye. The burst of energy knocked everyone back as Tenten screamed in pain. The flaring power lasted only for a few seconds before it stopped and Tenten collapsed in a boneless heap. Naruto desperately tried to unwind her fingers from the blade's hilt but it was impossible. Hinata and the others ran to his side, all worrying about Tenten's fate.

"Damn it Tenten, I told you not to touch this... now there's nothing I can do. The sword may kill or worse consume her... Damn it! Hina-hime, could you take her to her room and give her some medical care? I got a demon lord and a pervert to consult. Anko, go with her. If... if it comes to worst... kill Tenten. You'll know if you have to."

Hinata nodded at Naruto's request at first but then looked horrified at his request to kill Tenten. Lee however beat her to the punch as to why she would have to kill Tenten.

"Because Lee... this is no ordinary blade... it... it has been forged with Kyubi's youkai and blood. A blade so dangerous, not even I dare lay a hand on. The blade, while made after my scuffle with Kyubi and therefore not exactly evil, has attained a sort of semi-intelligence. Since its a blade, it will naturally want to cut things. Couple that with Kyubi's natural thirst for blood and it becomes a very dangerous blade. If... if Tenten can't control the blade's urges... it will either overload her body with youkai and kill her or it will consume her mind and soul, turning her into a soulless murderer..."

Lee and the others just realized how much it hurt Naruto to admit that. Anko realized why Naruto asked her to watch over Tenten, since apart from him, she was the only one having a chance to fight a demonically possessed blade overrun by youkai. With Hinata being near her, Anko couldn't even begin to comprehend the weight Naruto put on her shoulders by entrusting Hinata to her. Anko knew Naruto would want nothing more than be there and do it on his own, but needed to consult the only two beings he could about the possibilities and possible remedies to this fucked up situation. Quickly nodding, Anko picked up Tenten and she and Hinata made way to the sleeping quarters.

Naruto turned to Jiraiya, who had somehow managed to copy a few of Naruto's own seals onto a notebook of his and told him to get a seat. After that he simply shoved the rest out of the room, before making a Kage Bunshin who's purpose would be to vocalize Kyubi's suggestions so Naruto wouldn't have to speak twice. Quickly the two seal users and demon lord-imbued clone began discussing possible actions.

A few hours later and they had come up with nothing, not even a definite way to at least subdue the blade or free Tenten from its grasp if she lost. Just then a soft knock drew their attention. A stricken Naruto went to open it, seeing a freaked out Hinata behind. His mind immidiately fearing for the worst, Naruto grabbed her from the shoulders asking her if Tenten went on a killing spree or died. Hinata barely managed to answer negatively to the barrage of questions. On Naruto's subsequent question of what happened, she answered with something that shocked him.

"I took a look at Tenten-san with my Byakugan, to make sure I didn't miss an internal wound. What I saw though... Tenten-san... she's developing a secondary chakra system."

Jiraiya, Naruto and even the Kyubi-possessed clone gasped audibly. Hinata kept up though, reporting what she learned.

"This secondary chakra system is much like yours Naruto-kun, but its much smaller and weaker. Also its... well sort of intertwined with her regular one, like two linked vials, yet at the same time separate. Her regular chakra 'bleeds out' into this new chakra coil, but the other way isn't true. Once there it becomes... well much like Kyubi's own. Not nearly as potent or 'thick' but its red and black in color and much more... well viscous would describe it best I guess... What's more is that most of this new... chakra I guess, is channeled into the blade, where it is somehow absorbed. Naruto-kun, Jiraiya-sama, Kyubi-san... what's going on with Tenten-san?"

It was one of the few times Naruto had been so shocked and one of the even fewer times that neither of his companions could provide with an adequate answer. Naruto couldn't help but wonder... What kind of power did he unleah upon the world? What kind of curse did he unleash upon Tenten? Needless to say the group now counted four people that were trying to solve the mystery of Tenten's sword.

Meanwhile, outside, Zabuza was looking at the two gennin that were under his watch, and almost non-existent mercy. He decided that whatever was wrong with Tenten shouldn't prevent the others from getting better. Instead it should be used as a cause to further their skills.

"Alright ya brats. Since the bun-girl's out, you three gotta work twice as hard to cover her place. Got it? Now wonder-brat told me about what he'd like you three to learn. He said that Fangs over there" He pointed at Kiba." and the little furball" Now he was pointing at Akamaru. "should work on their speed. You two are good combo users and pretty strong to boot. You just need some more speed, a proper weapon and some ninjutsu. Now go to the side, huddle up and choose your specialties. You're an obvious taijutsu and scout specialist, but maybe you can also get good at assassinations. Now git. Alright now on your case Eye-brows, Naruto said that since you can't use chakra, you should work on other things. Meditation, old school shinobi tactics, strategy and of course taijutsu and your chosen weapon. You're pretty good at taijutsu and I can't teach ya more on that subject, but your weapon... I can help with that. Also the gaki said something about you using physical energy and spiritual energy separately but I seriously have no idea how you're gonna do it. So, 'till the wonder-brat gets here, we're gonna work on stuff to help you get by."

Letting Lee take the information in, Zabuza continued. "Now, I may be a specialist with Zanbatou, but that doesn't mean I don't know how to use other weapons. So, we're gonna go back in, find ya a proper weapon to wield and get back out for training. One warning gaki. If you thought my training you the last week was bad, its got nothing on what I'm about to do to you now. I'm gonna make you beg me to stop, I'm gonna work you to unconsciousness and then more. So let's go pick your weapon and get ready 'cause there's no turning back from this point on. Now buckle up and let's get going. We're burning daylight."

When Lee and Zabuza went back in, they entered the armory, looking for a weapon suited for Lee. Lee for his part didn't want to use a weapon, because it would 'dampen his flames of youth' as he repeatedly shouted at Zabuza. Of course its rather hard to say no to Zabuza when he's in 'pissed as hell' mode. Once inside the armory, Zabuza started picking various weapons for Lee to try. He went from the small and fast tanto, to more adaptable wakizashi, to katana, chukuto and even o-katana. Nothing suited the green-clad gennin. After being rather disapointed, he went on to Zanbatou and spears, where he found that the kid had some better instincts at wielding. After much, and I do mean much, trial and error, Zabuza found the best weapon for Lee's instincts. It was a magnificent polearm, the length of the pole being made out of steel, more than 2 meters ( 6'6" feet) long in total. The blade was curved and thick, made for cleaving right through arms and armor alike, the bottom possessing a steel orb with 2inch long spikes. While unadorned, Lee and Zabuza both knew, this weapon was made for use and abuse. Of course Lee asked Zabuza why that weapon suited him best, well not that quite calmly but you get the point.

"Because gaki, you're one of the few people that can actually lift this at your age, which is important 'cause you need to get used to it. Also it suits your fighting style. While it is heavy and so most would believe it is slow, I can easily see it moving very fast in the proper hands. Other than that, well you actually have talent in using this, not to mention it will temper you."

"Temper me? Zabuza-sensei? The flames of youth should not be tempered! YOSH!"

Zabuza sighed in responce before replieing. "And that's why you are not as strong as you could be. While yeah your 'flames of youth' are good for training, you must also learn to control them. Otherwise you'll become a danger not only to yourself, but to you friends as well. This weapon requires a lot of control and focus. Right now you're anything but focused and controlled. You're being controlled by your emotions like nothing more than a common animal. Instincts are good, you need'em. But you also need to control yourself and your actions, think before you act. I'm gonna take you from your 'flames of youth' and show you the 'water of calm'. Pick up your blade and follow me. You've got so much to learn I don't know if I can teach you even the basics. Now MOVE!"

Lee jumped up from the shout and moved, all the while shouting about how powerful the flames of youth burned and how his burning passion would overcome all obstacles. Zabuza for his part wanted to facepalm, but that would take time, time he didn't have to waste.

Meanwhile Kiba and Akamaru were talking about their options. What were they good at? What were their talents? Their potential? In the end what did they want to do for the rest of their lives?

Kiba always wanted to be an oi-nin just like his father, the man who's stories reared Kiba. From early on, Kiba trained himself for outdoor survival, scouting and of course perseverence. It only drew the laughter of his mother and sister. They laughed because they didn't believe in him, in the goof he was sometimes. But it didn't deter him, if anything it made him even more determined to be what he wanted. Now though, he had spent some time near an oi-nin, a person that didn't shy away from words and truth, he learned exactly how hard it was, how dangerous it could be. Did Kiba reall want to be an oi-nin, someone that would spent most of his hours on top of a tree in pursuit of a mark? Never coming home, not _having_ a home like most people did. Would he stand living like that?

Haku had given him a full description of how hard and demanding her job as oi-nin was. How hard she had to work to be able to take down the mark. How demanding it was when training or preparing for a fight. Kiba sighed, it was a hard choice really. On one side, his childhood fantasy of hunting 'bad guys' with his faithful nin-ken... On the other side, the dangers, the risks, the demands of that job. Contrary to common belief, Kiba wasn't an idiot. Sure he wasn't as smart as Shikamaru, but he wasn't a complete retard. He simply had a short attention span to things that didn't interest him, like theory and tactics and stuff. That didn't mean though that he couldn't think when the situation called for it.

So Kiba spent a long time thinking about the possibilities, the gains and the losses. Akamaru helped him decide too...

In the end it was remembering _why_ Naruto had called them there that made up his mind. Everyone else had their own specialties, he'd make his own. He'd be the hunter that would stalk his prey, that prey being any threat to his friends and packmates. He'd hunt them down ruthlessly and efficiently. Give no quarter, nor ask for one. He'd be an assassin, he'd walk the shadows, he'd tame the beast within. All to defend his packmates. No, not his 'packmates'. Those that went above and beyond that. His tomodachi (close friends in japanese, like best buddies). Making up his mind, Kiba took a leaf out of Lee's book. Smirking wildly at his dog partner, he hid up in the trees outside the exit to the HQ. If he could surprise Zabuza, Haku or Shino (who admitedly were extremely alert), he'd be well on his way to being an effective hunter. If not... well practice makes perfect. Lee's shouts of youth and whatnot warned Kiba that his prey was approaching. The hunter tensed as a large shadow emerged from the cave...

Tenten was in pain, few times had she been in so much pain, nearly all of them because of a bout with Neji. Damn bastard may have been her childhood crush, but after him fighting her seriously in a mere spar, she harbored very little feelings for him any more. Especially since every time it was 'fate that declared it'. Tenten's train of thoughts was stopped when she opened her eyes. What the heck was that place she wondered. It wasn't above ground that was certain. She was in a sort of underground dome... No, not dome she realized, it was a huge sphere. She was inside a huge sphere, so big her eyes couldn't see the top, but she somehow _knew_ it was there. Around her were... weapons. Weapons of each and every sort, size and type. Weapons she had never even _seen_ before. From heavy, double-edged, straight monstrocities of a sword (zweihander by the way), to short, elegant curved daggers. There was not a soul around her Tenten realized, worse there was no exit. Naturally, she reacted.

"WHERE THE HELL AM I?"

Tenten heard her voice reverbrate on invisible walls, coming back at her, distorted and louder, making her scream from the pain her eardrums were in. All things considered though, she didn't expect to hear a voice answer her.

**"You are here of course."**

It was an arrogant, deep, baritone voice, with an even more arrogant way of speech. Turning behind her towards the voice, Tenten beheld a giant of a man. Dressed in an all black with red decorations armor, reminiscent of a samurai, but much, much more decorated, like one that would belong to the Emperor himself. His stance was filled with arrogance, superiority and suppressed bloodlust. A blood red dragon dominated the decorations of the man's armor. Second most prominent figure was a black fox with nine tails, its fearsome visage seemingly battling the dragon, while also made out of the pieces of the armor the dragon wasn't painted on (it is in short an optical illusion, like a drawing of red lines that roughly form the outline of a black fox, only the lines are actually dragons, hope that helps picture it better). On the man's left side was a sheathed sword. Black leather covered the grip, while it was sheathed in a pitch black sheath.

In the same arrogant voice, the person continued.

**"You are my owner."** While phrased as a question it was just as much a declaration (in japanese it would be like 'kisama ga waga mochinushi').

"What the heck are you talking about? Who are you and where the fuck am I?" Tenten was still freaked out by the presence, as well as her location.

**"As I said. You are my master. I am Muramasa and you are here. It seems you are too foolish to be my wielder little girl."**

The man was arrogant to the extreme, Tenten could see it, but his answers infuriated her more than his answers.

"Yeah I heard it the first time. You didn't explain anything though. Where the fuck is here and what the fuck do you mean by owner."

**"Hmph such crude language, not even aware of the meanings of the words you carelessly spout. Very well I shall...**_** indulge**_** you. You were the first to pick me up, therefore you are my potential master. From what I see however, you are too foolish, too weak to wield me. As for where we are, this is simple. Inside your, rather limited, mind. Now get up **_**little girl**_**. It is time to test you."**

With these words, the person now identified as Muramasa slowly drew his sword. That sword left Tenten gaping, it was the same black sword she held before she fainted.

**"I see you are begining to understand a few things **_**little girl**_**. Good, there may yet be hope for one as weak as you."**

Tenten was getting pissed off by now. One of the few things that sent her off the edge was underestimating her for her gender and age. She was a kunoichi damnit, a serious, dedicated, _capable_ kunoichi! Nobody, EVER underestimated her!

"Shut up damnit! My name isn't 'little girl'! Its Tenten damnit! Learn it!"

**"Hmph at least you do not run at first sight of me. Good. Now get up **_**little girl**_** and give me a reason to actually call you by name. Unless you are unworthy of even **_**that**_** basic priviledge.**

Tenten did get up then. Immidiately she picked up a sword from near her and rushed Muramasa.

Muramasa looked uninterested as he casually blocked her attacks as if they were nothing more than mosquito bites, moving at the speed of a half-asleep turtle.

**"Hmph is that it? For all your fervor you are holding back. You cannot defeat me this way. Is it because, even though I insulted you, you have no reason to fight me? Is that it?"**

Muramasa's words forced Tenten to stop her reckless assault, where she realized two things. First, he was right and second... she wasn't tired. No matter how little one fought, swinging a sword wildly causes some fatigue. Yet there was nothing on Tenten's arms. As if she just woke up from restful slumber. It was then that she really thought about Muramasa's words of this place being her mind. Slowly she got up from the tumble Muramasa had sent her into.

"Let me get this straight. Your name is Muramasa and this is inside my mind. You talk as if you are an object, damn arrogant, but an object. The only object I can relate you to is..." Here Tenten's eyes went wide at the repercussions of the new discovery. "The sword! The sword Naruto told us not to touch..."

To Tenten's surprise, Muramasa gave a barely visible nod. **"That is correct. I am the black sword and Muramasa is my name."**

Tenten filed that away, she was going to think about it when someone wasn't going to chop her to little bits at seemingly no reason. "Ok now that we've settled it. Why do I have to fight you?"

**"Simple. Superiority."** At Tenten's incoming question, Muramasa continued. **"Why does a man ride a horse and not the other way? Its because men are superior to horses. How does it differ from wielding a sword? Do you control the sword or the other way round? Are you superior to your own sword or the other way round? In the end, what matters? The sword or the wielder of the sword. Being who I am, I refuse to be controlled by someone weaker than myself. I refuse to serve a weak master. Therefore, I shall test you. You and I shall fight. If you win, I submit and become your faithful weapon as long as you maintain your superiority over me. If I win, quite simply **_**you**_** will submit to **_**me**_** and become my tool. I shall use your body to fulfil my calling and the reason for which I was made for. Namely killing."**

Poor Tenten was terrified as much as creeped out by the sword's declarations. Worse, it had logic. Even worse, she knew it was true. She would have to defeat the sword or she'd be a slave to it. No worse, she thought. It would be worse. The sword would drive her to insanity and murder. The murder of... her friends. Lee, Hinata, Kiba, Naruto, Haku, Shino, Kurenai, even those two sadists Zabuza and Anko. Resolve finally showing in her eyes, Tenten readied herself for another round of fighting. Then the sword's representation stunned her again.

**"You have the reason now. Good. You have two of the three pieces of the answer you need to defeat me. You have the determination to fight on, you have the reason to fight. But... you still cannot defeat me. Why? Because, even though the fight is not decided yet, I am part of you. I know you. I know your desires, dreams, nightmares and fears. I know your fighting style, your moves, everything. You cannot hide from me, you cannot trick me and you cannot outsmart me. You need one more part of the riddle to fight me. One more answer. Can you find the answer? Or will you give in?"**

Tenten stopped. She somehow knew that Muramasa wouldn't attack her until she was ready. Damn he was annoying though. He made sense, sure, but did he have to be so arrogant and annoying about it? Tenten shook her head, clearing her thoughts about the sword with an ego the size of Iwa. Clearing her mind, Tenten took her time. Thinking about everything, about every word, every motion, every hidden meaning of Muramasa's words. What did he say, what did he mean, how did he say it, what meanings could hide, what was the riddle she had to solve.

_**"Even though the fight is not decided yet, I am part of you. I know you."**_

_**"I refuse to be controlled by someone weaker than myself. I refuse to serve a weak master. "**_

That was the asnwer. It was so easy. Muramasa didn't want a weak wielder. He was proud, a proud sword. Having a weakling as a master would be unacceptable. The thought of a wielder completely dependent on Muramasa's power alone must be unbearable for one so proud. A pride, she realized, that wasn't entirely undeserved. Muramasa was an excellent blade, a powerful partner. Tenten smiled, that was what Muramasa meant. He knew her, so she had to improve. She had to prove to Muramasa that she wasn't weak, that she wasn't dependant, that she wasn't foolish, that she wasn't without pride.

Tenten may have already be standing, but she might as well be sitting. Having found the answer to Muramasa's question, she straightened up, her muscles relaxed but ready, her posture calm, collected and _in control_. She looked at the sword in her hand and thew it away. Extending her arm to the side, a blade came to her hand, feeling _right_, as if it always belonged there. It was a long black katana, with a red dragon inscription and black hilt wraps.

Tenten leveled her eyes to her opponent, her blade ready, her eyes confident, her posture strong.

"I know now Muramasa. Sorry for doubting you and your pride. Sorry for not realizing it earlier. In truth, you were looking out for me weren't you? You want me to wield you, but to be proud about it. To be equal and deserving of your power. I understand now and I want you to know that, no matter who wins, I am honored I held you in my hand, honored I could fight you. But most importantly I am proud. I am proud you considered me to possess the potential to wield you. And I wouldn't have it any other way."

Tenten's blade rose slowly in front of her, gripped by both hands. A posture mimicked by Muramasa. Their motions were the same, as if looking at a mirror. Power seemingly flowed out of both warriors, a reflection of their own strength. Tenten readied her blade and charged, Muramasa copying her motion. Both clashed in the middle neither giving an inch.

The fight went on, with both doing the same motions at the same time, with the same force behind the attacks. Both leapt back. Both drew the swords back and to the side. Both charged again, focused on delivering the killing blow. One the swords flared in power, coated in an aura of red and black. A cry reverbrated through the sphere, a flash of light and both warriors were back to back. One of them kneeled and disintegrated away. The other lifted the sword, to the air, a silent salute to the one who lost. The winner's voice came through barely audible, with a hint of pride.

"This attack is the first I made, to honor you. **Onigiri** (Demon Cut), an attack worthy of you, my partner and ally. And it is just the start, I'll become even more powerful, I will not stop getting stronger. I will prove your pride true... Muramasa. Now let's go show the outside world just what we're made of."

The last figure let the sword fall to the side and disappeared as well. Deep inside the sphere, a tall, giant of a man, in a black and red samurai armor smiled. He had chosen well. She would be a good master.

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**A/N: Woot another one. This one came fast as I had something to work with since the last chapter. All you authors out there know how hard it is to start a new independent chapter, or worse arc. Anyway, Tenten got her sword, Lee's getting more awesome and Kiba's turn is right around the corner. As always review and let me know your opinion ok?**

**So sorry for the lack of updates on Kage's Exodus. I know I'm lower than scum for not updating. I'll try focusing on them for a bit. Once again I apologize.**

**The idea for Tenten's sword has been on my mind for several months now (I first wrote about it on chapter eleven), but only recently it solidified into what I wanted it to be like. I hope you'll enjoy it. Also keep in mind that while Tenten has a very powerful sword, it doesn't mean she can up and start kicking ass left and right. She's simply at everybody else's level since everyone has their own specialties. Tenten's specialty is just like Naruto; wanton destruction :D**

**Onigiri (Demon Cut): Tenten uses youkai to strengthen Muramasa, improving the edge of the blade. Instead of a single attack, it is more of a way of attacking, a mode Tenten enters. In this state Muramasa is one of the, if not the, sharpest weapons in existence. It is so sharp that Tenten's fighting style is focused on the opponent being unable to block it. Onigiri is sharp enough to cut through Anko's armor with ease, though it can't do the same with Naruto's armor. Due to the youkai running through the blade, it is possible to suffer youkai poisoning even if the target survives the attack itself. Because the youkai is inferior to that of a bijuu, jinchuuriki and those linked to a jinchuuriki are immune to that side effect.  
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**Today, on this 9/6/2012, I, Soulblazer87, do hereby leave this site, possibly forever.**

**I shall not update this, or any other story.**

**I shall leave them on, however. Should you desire to follow my stories, do so in my new site of residence: www dot yourfanfiction dot com.**


	16. Chapter 16

_Chapter 16: Clouds Approaching_

Tenten woke with a start. Slowly she opened her eyes, taking in her surroundings. She was in her room in the Headquarters. Next she noticed she was almost naked but covered with a warm blanket. Turning her head to the side she noticed Lee sitting on a chair next to her bed, a bowl of water and, from what she smelled, herbs on his lap. Tenten quickly corrected herself, Lee was asleep. Trying to raise herself, she felt a weight on her right hand, looking at it she realized it was Muramasa, the black sword. It looked somehow... comforting? No, more like it always belonged there. Almost immidiately she felt a tug in her mind, a strong urge to kill. Tenten almost without realizing it raised her sword over Lee, before restraining herself. Consiously lowering her arm, she let the sword go from her hand. Choosing to think about it at a later time, she wrapped the blanket around her to preserve her dignity and gently shook Lee awake. The sleepy boy muttered something about water and fire and Gai before realizing who exactly shook him away.

"Tenten-san! You are awake! YOSH! You have recovered from the power of that unyouthful sword! Your flames of youth are burning as strong as ever!" Lee yelled happily. Tenten at that moment had half a mind to follow Muramasa's will and take Lee's head off. She had just woken up damnit! Forcibly calming herself down and making a mental note to speak to Naruto about the sword she 'playfully' slugged Lee at the head, sending him sprawling on the ground.

"Geeze Lee! I just woke up damnit, can't you speak calmly for once? Now get up and get out, I want to get dressed, and if I ever find you were the one to remove my clothes, I'LL KILL YOU! Got it?"

Lee felt the urge to meep at Tenten's furious face before scrambling up. "Yosh! I shall go let Hinata-chan that you have recovered! She was the one that took care of you at first, then the rest of us took turns. If I can't tell her in less than 20 seconds I'll-"

WHAM!

Tenten slugged Lee again, letting him know it was time to get going. Lee scrambled out of the room, all the while screaming about flames of youth. Tenten quickly got to getting dressed. Getting Muramasa's sheath that was placed next to her bed by someone, probably Naruto, she sheathed the demonic blade and strapped it to her waste.

Hinata and Haku came first, almost tossing Tenten back to the bed in order to check her wounds and chakra coils. Tenten barely had time to avoid the two barreling, over-zealous and worried medics. Of course they wouldn't relent so easily, quickly mananging to force Tenten on the bed to check her, despite Tenten's cries that she was fine.

"I'm fine damnit! Let me go will you? Come on I feel perfect!"

Tenten's cries were silenced though when she saw Hinata's look. Something had worried her. With a calm, cool and powerful commanding voice Hinata spoke.

"No you are not. Now shut up, calm down and let us do our job. You have no _idea_ what happened to you while you were unconscious, so don't even _try_ to get out."

Tenten gulped at the seriousness of Hinata's voice. Choosing to wait instead of further angering her, Tenten calmed down and let them examine her.

After what seemed like an hour, Hinata and Haku gave the OK for the weapon master to get up. Hinata sent Haku to fetch Naruto, he'd be needed for what was about to come. Meanwhile Hinata tried to prepare Tenten for what had happened.

"Tenten-san, do you even realize what happened? Do you realize that you almost died, or worse became a soulless killing machine?"

"Umm yeah, Muramasa kind of explained that to me." At Hinata's obvious question Tenten continued. "Muramasa is the sword's name. I had to fight him for superiority."

Hinata sighed. "Tenten, that sword is one of a kind, forged in a demon's blood and not just any demon, but the Kyubi no Yoko. Understand what I'm telling you? While your body is fine to your eyes, it isn't to mine. Weapons like that... change people. It has changed you. You are more aggressive now, easier to anger... but that's just the obvious. You were changed more than simply on an emotional level. You-"

The door opened at that moment to reveal Naruto in his training clothes. He walked up to Tenten and she could see that he was barely holding himself back from kicking her ass there and then.

"Tenten, do you have any fucking idea what you did? What the fuck were you thinking when you picked up the sword? Didn't I tell you to not touch it?"

Tenten felt angry at Naruto for yelling at her, not even realizing her hand moved closer to Muramasa.

"Yeah so fucking what? You left Muramasa in plain fucking view. If you didn't want us to get these weapons then don't leave them in plain sight. Better yet don't make them at all you fucking idiot."

SLAP!

Tenten reeled back from the slap she got from Naruto, shocked out of her anger.

"Listen to yourself Tenten! Shouting at me for something YOU did wrong. Do you have any idea how worried we all were? Do you have any idea how I felt when I ordered Anko, yes _ordered_ her to kill you if you became a thrall to your weapon? Do you have any idea what the concequences of this sword being unsheathed will be? Tell me Tenten, do you have any fucking idea exactly what you did?"

The girl reeled back by Naruto's force of words, before realizing he was correct about her. She managed to stutter an apology before asking what happened. Naruto rubbed his temples to calm down a bit before turning to Hinata.

"Hime, please explain to Tenten what happened to her before I explain her both her punishment and her new duties."

Hinata nodded before looking carefully at Tenten. "When you picked up the sword, your body was unused to the youkai that it radiates. In order for you to survive, it forced your body to create a secondary chakra coil system, wrapping and communicating with your original one, in order for you to be 'compatible' to the sword. Your chakra flows into this secondary system, condensing and becoming youkai, demonic energy." Tenten gasped and her eyes widened as she began to understand just how severe things were. "However, youkai doesn't revert to chakra to fill your coils, something that almost _killed_ you via chakra exhaustion. The youkai in itself, flowed into the sword, Muramasa, where it was absorbed. You... you are more like a jinchuuriki now than a human. Luckily, _very luckily_, the youkai in you is much weaker than any Bijuu's so it doesn't poison you or others. Its color is a mixture of red and black, as opposed to blue that was your normal."

Naruto nodded along Hinata, before taking the lead. "Muramasa was forged out of my own blood, the blood containing Kyubi if you recall. The combination of youkai, demon blood and a sword's 'calling' to cut things could very easily destroy your mind, making you a soulless killer. But the problems don't stop there. Muramasa is an extremely powerful sword, you will have people after your head and your sword in no time if this gets out. While yeah, you have a great advantage, they might well come after others to get to you. Even in Konoha you'll have problems. For example that damn Uchiha might think he 'deserves' the sword and try to take it away from , you can deal with him, he will go whine to the council about needing that weapon. Try defending yourself from these bastards. Want me to go on? If they find you can use youkai, even watered down, they will force you to have sex with any male clan heir they can find in hopes of replicating it. They may very well try to force artificial insemination in hopes of increasing another kekkei-genkai's power. Not to mention a certain warhawk that may very well try to kidnap you by staging your death, brainwash you and have you and your children serve him as loyal puppets. It will also draw other, just as unscrupulous people, like Orochimaru, to you. Not to mention many civilians will hate you because I have 'corrupted' you with my 'demon magics'. Want more? It will attract attention to me in order to make them more swords like that. Do you understand just how much attention you brought our way? The _wrong_ kind of attention."

Naruto sighed and took a deep breath. "You are forbidden from using Muramasa from now on when onlookers are around. Even then, only the most dire of circumstances would justify drawing Muramasa. Meanwhile, I have to train you personally in order to both learn how to channel youkai, somewhat safely, as well as to learn to control the sword's urges. You pretty much fucked up the whole thing now Tenten. As further punishment, you have proven you are not ready for a specialized weapon from me. You will first _master_ Muramasa and prove to us all that you have complete control. Only then will I make you a weapon. Not that you'll need it really. Even now I can feel Muramasa's power and knowing Kyu, that's not a tenth of its real power. Be happy that Jiraiya was here to start preparing a room that contains youkai. Otherwise, I'd have to confine you here, unable to use any youkai because half of Konoha would find us."

Tenten was floored. What the heck had she done? She had just drawn a sword and... and she screwed up royally. Reeling back from the information she just got, she fell on her bed. Now she realized that when Naruto says something, it really is in your best interest to listen...

Ducking her head Tenten did the only thing she could, accepted her fate and failure. Naruto looked at the disheartened kunoichi.

"Good, it seems you understand the extent of things. Now that you realize the concequences of these actions, we can work from here. Now, despite how angry I sounded, I was more worried than anything else. Like it or not, you're my responcibility, just like everybody else in this plan. Also, despite me not allowing to use Muramasa, you will have to learn how to use it and possibly be forced to use it at some point. I must consult the old man and Ero-sennin on what we can do to keep it down or at least out of the council's hands. But with jiji being so old... it'll be hard unless we get a replacement." *sigh* "Now get some rest, your chakra's almost out, despite you feeling good. Try to contact Muramasa again but _do not draw the blade_. You are more aggressive than usual and we don't need any more fuck ups today, what with Lee and Zabuza..." *mumble about overzealous idiots with oversized weapons* "Anyway, now go back to sleep. We start training first thing in the morning."

Naruto left the room, his shoulders slumped, feeling much older than he should. Hinata stayed a bit to help Tenten feel better about her screw up, knowing that she needed the support.

Zabuza, Kiba, Haku, Shino and Lee looked up at Naruto as he approached. Shino was the first to speak.

"How is Tenten, Naruto? I mean apart from physical condition. Not to mention you seem troubled. Share your burden with us."

Naruto sat down, getting a bottle of juice to calm down a bit before sharing the news with everybody else. It drew several troubled looks and muttered curses. Even Lee didn't shout about youth, much more concerned about his teammate's future. When Hinata came back to the group, she placed her head on Naruto's lap and his hand on her hair, letting him know she was just as troubled as he and wanted someone to calm her down. Later the group was replaced by Anko and Kurenai that had gone out to get food and weapons.

The scene Anko came across was one of Prime, with a true capital P, blackmail material. Naruto had his head on Hinata's lap, his arms wrapped around her, his face nuzzling her stomach and he was making a 'mmrawr' sound, sounding more like an overfed, overgrown and overpetted cat than the war-machine he usually was. When Hinata's hand started petting his head, Naruto actually purred. Obviously the only reason Naruto allowed himself to that state was because everyone else had left for their own training. Anko had barely enough time to snap a photo of the two before Kurenai screamed 'kawai' waking the two lovebirds from their tender moment. An event that caused Hinata and, amazingly enough, Naruto to pout. A second flash of light ensured even more blackmail for Anko.

Meanwhile, Zabuza was training Lee on how to properly use his weapon, now properly identified as a Quan Dao ( or Kwan Dao or Qwan Dao, its the same really, just different ways to write it). Lee could attack with both the bladed end and the spiked-ball end, while the weight of the weapon made sure the blows were devastating. The fighting style Zabuza was teaching to Lee was an adaptation of his own Zanbatou fighting style named 'Flowing River'. The principle was rotating in the same direction. The weight of the weapons made sure that the speed increased, as well as making it much, much harder to defend as the enemy's arms would grow numb within seconds from the violent attacks. Using advanced physics, learned through practice rather than theory, the practicioner was later able to quickly reverse the attack without loosing any momentum or speed, making it an insanely effective style. The enemy was mainly reduced to one of three options. Either dodging the blow, that had the unfortunate side-effect of the weapon increasing in speed, becoming progressively harder to dodge, blocking the blow that, depending on the momentum of the attack could shatter bones, or taking the hit, which was even worse for obvious reasons. The style also used twirling of the weapon very close to the body in order to both defend as well as gather momentum before an attack.

Lee was working hard on the style and Zabuza had to hand it to the kid, he was one serious hard worker. From before daybreak to past nightfall, Lee would continuously perform the forms of the weapon, adapted for use with his polearm. The adaptation was mostly adjusting for the counterweight of the spiked ball as well as integrating it in attacks. The only problem? Lee's strength was so great that the weapon was showing signs of abuse from just two days of training. The stress put on the steel was too great and it was showing signs of breaking. Zabuza chuckled inside, Konoha must be filled with retards if they couldn't see how badass the kid could become given a decent chance, a decent weapona and a decent sensei. Now that he'd get something _more_ than decent in all three areas... he'd show them the meaning of a prodigy. Zabuza himself was quite surprised when he found out how much weight Lee carried, only to be shocked when he learned that Lee was dissapointed because he had run out of space for weights and couldn't train himslef _even more_! Obviously Zabuza had already tasked Naruto with making a couple of things for Lee. First was a set of more powerful weights that would affect the entire body, instead of just the legs. Second was a brand new weapon for Lee to use, one that this time would be able to withstand the abuse.

Zabuza was quietly watching Lee perform the katas when Lee did something he didn't expect. On a move that required a jump followed by a downward slash from the weapon, as a sort of defence-breaking move (think Dante's Helmbreaker attack to get you an idea of what I mean), Lee hit the ground so hard he actually made a deep crater followed by a shockwave. Then the much abused weapon broke in Lee's hands.

Lee had been feeling rather angry lately. Naruto's life, Hinata's abuse from her family, the lack of human contact Shino had experienced, Haku's childhood, the team had shared most of their stories, binding each other as something more than just team-mates. They were brothers in arms, what affected one, affected all. That's the kind of camaraderie Lee felt with his new team. Then came Tenten's new trial, slowly pushing Lee over the brink the more he thought it. Lee's anger hitting the maximum during his kata, something snapped inside of him, an anger he knew he had to channel somewhere. Some weird... _power_ surged within Lee,slightly reminiscent of something he couldn't really remember and with a warcry Lee hit his Quan Dao on the ground. The results stunned Lee as well, not only did his weapon break, but also the ground he hit... shattered. In an explosion of earth and dust, Lee made a crater simply by smashing his polearm to the ground. Slowly he turned to his sensei to see him sporting an identical look of shock.

Zabuza had seen a lot of things in his life. He'd seen the power of the Sandaime Mizukage, he had stood in front of the full KI of Sandaime Hokage, he had been pushed back by a bloody 13 year old brat (though the spars that followed that event were good enough that Zabuza would loose all over again if he had to), he'd seen a lot of power and strength. But _this_ shocked him. Sure Naruto could do the same if he wanted, but sheesh Lee _wasn't_ Naruto. Lee didn't even use chakra! What hit the ground was raw physical strength. Strong enough to create a bloody crater! What's with him getting all the super-powered brats Zabuza wondered somewhere deep inside his mind.

Naruto came running out of the hidden house, him and Anko easily feeling the shockwave due to their advanced senses. Anko chose to hide herself in the shadows behind Naruto in case of a sneak attack. Of course no one expected the spectacle of a stunned Lee and a just as shocked Zabuza. Worrying for a second if someone hit them with a Genjutsu, Naruto used the 'kai' technique to release them from it, drawing no results. Slowly Zabuza turned to Naruto.

"That's it brat, I'm done. I'm not training anyone anymore and I'm running away from this place. Every brat that I came across since I met you goes super-powered in a bloody week."

Naruto slowly managed to calm down Zabuza and Lee, well restore Lee to his normal 'flames of youth' state. When Zabuza managed to explain what had happened, Naruto did the unexpected again. He grinned widely and smacked Lee on the back.

"You did it Lee! I knew you would!"

Of course Lee was confused as to what it was that he did, not to mention it sounded pretty important. "Naruto-kun what _did_ I do? All I remember was fanning my flames of youth with some basic excercises" *cue cough by Zabuza at the 'simple' excercises* "when suddely I felt my youthfulness exceed everything I had felt before and before I knew it, I had broken my youthful weapon on the ground."

Naruto laughed a bit at Lee's explanation before replieing to the gathered team, since Lee's crater creation pretty much called everyone sort of Tenten who was still resting in her room.

"Lee do you know what chakra is? Quite simply chakra is spiritual and physical energy mixed together right? You are not able to _create_ chakra, but that doesn't mean you don't have spiritual or physical energy. If anything, both reserves are truly huge compared to our peers. Now here's the fun part. Chakra is very easy to use and control, because its made of both types of energy. In doing so however, both energies are diluted in a sense, making them much less effective than they should be, even though they are easier to use. Because you can't use chakra, I had a theory that's quite revolutionary. In my opinion, if you were pushed far enough, whether physically, mentally or emotionally, you'd be able to harness and control _raw physical energy_. Something that noone apart from you can do. While yes, using physical and spiritual energy separately is very hard and practically impossible for most shinobi, you are different. Most ninja would use their chakra when looking for their power within, simply because its easily accessible. You on the other hand, don't have chakra, so if you pushed hard enough, you'd get to the separate energies. Lee, while you still cannot use ninjutsu, you now have a power that is greater than that. While you'll never be able to spit fire or control water, do you really think you'll need it if you become physically stronger than Tsunade, tougher than me and faster than Haku?"

Everyone was gaping at the revelations. Kurenai, being a genjutsu specialist and Hinata, being a Hyuga, were much more familiar with the specifics of chakra. What Naruto suggested was both insane and... possible. It would be insanely hard to actually _use_ physical energy, but like Naruto suggested, physical energy became diluted when mixed with spiritual energy, therefore become much less effective. If what Naruto said was true, then Lee had just opened a brand new view on chakra and its origins. It could also explain why Tsunade had physical strength noone else was able to copy. She must have found a way to either use physical energy or affect the mixture of chakra, reducing the presence of spiritual energy to near zero, something that was possible considering how much Tsunade had mastered chakra control. If Naruto was correct... Lee was a genius, no a prodigy not seen before.

Kiba walked up to Lee, looked at him seriously and spoke. "Well you did it Lee, you've proven you're a true prodigy. I must say I'm kinda jealous that you're all getting so strong. But if you think I'm gonna give up, you're mistaken. Lee, better learn to use your physical energy well, otherwise, I'm gonna BEAT YOU UP!"

Everyone laughed at Kiba, knowing it was his way of saying 'good job' as well as issue a rivalry challenge. Lee smiled at Kiba before getting up and shaking hands.

"Yosh! Kiba-kun! We're rivals from now on! Our flames of youth will grow strong!" Both Lee and Kiba smirked at each other.

Kiba had been practicing too when Lee's shockwave reached him and Akamaru. While his sister Hana always made fun of him and Akamaru, Kiba knew that he could and would be stronger than her. The only thing left to do would be actually forcing that potential out. Knowing his family's taijutsu alone wouldn't cut it in the specialties he had chosen, he knew he had to add some variety in his combat capabilities. So he had asked Kurenai to get him a chakra testing paper, which revealed he had a powerful lightning affinity. After Naruto showed Kiba the basic excercises for lightning manipulation, Kiba had spent quite a bit of time learning elemental recomposition. However he didn't stop there. His father was supposed to have been able to use ninjutsu through his nin-dog, something that Kiba sought to replicate. Of course he knew he wasn't anywhere near that level, but that didn't mean he wouldn't try. What he found on the other hand, was that while Akamaru couldn't channel ninjutsu from Kiba, that didn't mean he couldn't use chakra. What was more interesting, was the fact that Akamaru also had the same element as Kiba. Of course the puppy didn't have anywhere near Kiba's reserves, so Akamaru couldn't really use any jutsu higher than D rank.

Kiba had also started looking for a proper weapon, so far coming up with two choices. He had found a pair of clawed gauntlets in the armory, weapons that allowed him to both defend and attack, not to mention they were very similar to his clan's jutsu. On the other hand, his eyes were also drawn to a pair of chain linked kama. Having faced Shino's deadly kama in a spar, he knew just how powerful a weapon they could be, while the chain would help him in capturing an enemy alive. Not to mention the combos he could do with lightning chakra and a chain. In the end he chose both, so that even if Naruto improved only one of them, he'd have the other one as support, just in case he'd need it. So Kiba spent a lot of time every day practicing both his weapons, using some of the tricks Tenten had shared with the team in switching from style to style. So Kiba would spend hours in the dojo, dashing through the dummies, attacking them with kicks or claws or chained kama, unleashing a tempest of attacks on the unfortunate dummies. Akamaru on the other hand was learning how to channel his chakra better, increasing his tiny reserves in the meantime as well. It wasn't easy for the puppy, but if his partner would train to the limit then so would he. After all the two were a team.

Haku and Shino on the other hand were having the closest thing to a date Shino could come up with. The poor bug user, while he had accepted his feelings for Haku, with Haku admiting she felt something for him as well, he was terribly limited in knowledge of what a date is. His fumbling constantly made Haku giggle, his attempts to woo her failing so miserably, she actually thought he was cute. Well she at least could see he really was interested in her, something that was a definite plus, despite his shortcomings in the dating department. Besides, the girl knew he had already done things for her he wouldn't do for anyone else, so she knew he liked her. The problem was finding where she stood with him.

In the mean time, countless clones of Naruto were working with a certain perverted sage. The sage had tasked some of them with learning the basics of Rasengan, knowing that just the chakra excercise Naruto would get from it would be invaluable. Another group of clones were working on seals and ideas while the last part was being helped by the aged Sennin in using said seals. Nearly twenty clones were working on the Sandaime's armor alone, others preparing Lee's future weapon for use. Poor Jiraiya didn't have time to do his research from the workload Naruto had managed to dump on him. Then again, the aged ninja surmised, the things he was doing with Naruto were definitely more interesting than research. From elemental seals, to reverse gravity seals to advanced storage seals to storage with storage seals, Jiraiya was astounded by the gennin's talent with sealing, a very difficult art to begin with.

The week came and went. The team never stopped practicing, never stopped improving. Near the end of the week the aged Hokage came and visited the group (like he wouldn't know where they were). Naruto called him, Jiraiya, Hinata and Tenten to the second room in the armory where they could discuss things without any interference. When inside, Naruto explained to the Sandaime what had happened to Tenten, looking for ways to protect her from the council's greed. To say the Hokage was saddened would be an understatement. The old man was quite hard pressed already to have Naruto sent to ROOT or executed. With Tenten drawing more attention... it would be seriously hard to keep the council in check. Until Naruto gave him an idea.

"Jiji... how about this? Muramasa and the way to make others like him will be listed as Namikaze clan techniques and relics. Since I was planning on revealing my heritage to the village anyway, Tenten here would become a retainer for my clan. If Sasuke wants the sword, or Kami-forbid Tenten, he'd have to either fight her or me in an one-on-one battle. Something that he has no chance of winning, trust me. If they want to marry her off to a clan, they'd have to get through ME since she'll be a retainer for MY clan. Lastly... I've had ero-sennin look into the council with some of my help in infiltration. We found quite a few things, including an underground HQ for ROOT, something that, together with mine and Inoichi-san's testimony of what happened 5 years ago, would easily get the asshole convicted. Of course the council won't take it easy but you can convict them for being accomplices. Jiji... I know you're tired and all, but these assholes are tearing Konoha apart. Sure I may not harbor the same feelings as I used to, but that doesn't mean I don't care about my prescious people like you and Tenten or Hina-chan. As long as you remain here and Konoha is prescious to you, then I'll protect it. Jiji, you may have to retire soon, maybe find a replacement for a Hokage. We need someone that can and will fight the councils..."

The old man sighed, showing his years. Naruto was right about everything but he couldn't just up and execute some council members because of the Demon Brat's sayings. While he agreed, he knew the civilians wouldn't agree and that would cause much, much trouble.

"Naruto-kun, you do realize of course what the civilians will do right?"

"Jiji... quite frankly SCREW the civilians. What have THEY done to YOU other than tire you out even more? What have they done for Konoha? NOTHING. They are tearing the place apart. Besides after I reveal the true cause of the Kyubi's attack along with my heritage... they are going to worship me as much as they do the Uchiha. Fucking sheep..."

Tenten just had to interfere at that moment. "Umm Naruto, what do you mean about your heritage and what's the reason behind Kyubi's attack?"

Naruto just gave her a sad smile. "You'll have to learn along with the rest of this fucked up village. Trust me when I say though that a LOT of things will change. A clan will be disgraced and another will rise to apparent glory. It won't be pretty but its necessary. Now Tenten, could you flare your youkai a bit for Jiji to see? I need his opinion on the matter."

Tenten complied to Naruto's command, letting the Hokage see the powerful energy that now flowed in her along with her chakra. The red and black aura erupted around her like a double helix, one helix being the soft blue of chakra, the other one a red and black color. Sarutobi was quite floored when he witnessed the power now hidden within the petite kunoichi. However he also noticed how quickly she got tired. Of course he realized, Tenten's youkai was mostly made of highly compressed chakra, its natural to tire her out quickly. Still, revealed at the right moment, it could be quite the trump card. Jiraiya interferred by revealing he had made a seal that hid Tenten's secondary chakra coils from the Byakugan, so noone would find out before it was time.

Tenten the left the room, allowing the shinobi inside to discuss other matter she wasn't privy to. Naruto got up and showed Sandaime his modified battle armor. Now it had quite a bit more metal on, with a breastplate to protect him as well as quite a bit of leather and metal in other parts to shield the most vulnerable points on Sarutobi's body. Naruto then started explaining.

"The armor here is one of a kind jiji. I'll explain as I go with the order of donning. Now the jumpsuit underneath is worn at skin level, covering the entirety of your body. You should notice that it has dark grey lines running through its length correct? This was a joint creation from me, Jiraiya and Hina-hime here. The lines are in fact a multitude of seals aligned to your chakra coils, improving the flow of chakra as well as shielding you in just about any aspect. On the back of the suit is a large seal array that, well for lack of better description, substitutes a combat medic. It detects damage and threats to your body and releases chemicals accordingly. It has countervenoms, nutrients, combat chemicals, painkillers, the whole deal. I have also placed a couple of chakra storing arrays, so you can have the extra boost needed for a long fight. Now moving on to the leather protections. The leather is in fact two layers of leather, with a weave of steel fibers underneath. Chakra-reactive seals make sure you can harden them to the point of a steel plate if the need arises. Over the leather goes the steel plates I have added. The greeves and boots have advanced storage seals filled with water and mud, since I know you have quite a few jutsu of both elements. A small burst of chakra will release the amount needed, ready for usage. The bracers are equipped with a mass of seals. Mostly storing seals, I have placed a large amount of weaponry inside. First of all are the wrist blades on top of your wrist. I know, they aren't much of a weapon, but they themselves have storage seals holding large amounts of poison, not to mention they are mostly for hidden strikes. Underneath and to the sides of the bracers are explosives and other nifty tricks. Explosive pellets, smoke pellets, poison smoke pellets, flash pellets, you name it I have it. By the way, I've already stored a mass of kunai already wrapped with explosive tags behind your belt. Quite the nasty surprise. Anyway, that's the gauntlets. Your helm... now that's a piece of work. I have placed chakra sensing seals, which means you can feel if an enemy is behind you or when a big jutsu is being readied. Linked to it is a chakra releasing seal that will blast any genjutsu away the instant its placed on you. The visor and mask cover your face completely while filtering out any harmful agents, meaning smoke and air-born poisons won't affect you. Lastly your breastplate has only one array apart from the regular strengthening seals. My pride and joy, the magnetic shield array. In short, it locks away a part of your chakra, about 1% I think, to form a powerful magnetic shield around you. Anything metallic or ferrous that comes near you will be automatically deflected away. If you need more power, you can consciously focus more chakra into it, increasing both range and strength of the barrier. Otherwise, you can command it to cover only one direction if you need to."

Naruto took a deep breath to recover the oxygen he had just spent explaining the armor. Continuing he added. "The entire armor is finally sealed away in the convenient form of a necklace. Unfortunately using it will shred all clothes away, but it could make for a nasty surprise if you have to hide it. In total, I have stored about one thousand explosive pellets and tags, more than two hundred smoke pellets, not counting the poisoned smoke ones. Thanks to Anko-nee-chan, me and Ero-sennin have placed enough poisons inside to take on a battalion of jounin and come out on top. However, there are some downsides to it. First of all, for all its power, its still just an armor. In other words, do try to dodge jiji, I haven't tried it against something like Kusanagi, so I think you'll still have to dodge. Also, you'll have to wear the armor for a couple of days to let it align itself to you, as well as store your chakra into it. I think that's all. Hina-chan, Ero-sennin, did I forget anything?"

Hinata shook her head while Jiraiya laughed. The gaki just passed off the creation of the most powerful armor as if it were nothing but discussing the weather. But the fact remained, that he HAD forgotten something.

"Actually yeah you did. On the soles of the boots are not just the storage seal but an elemental array for wind. Sensei, when you use that seal, it will cause a blast of wind to erupt, propelling you away. The same arrays are on the front of the gloves and the backside of the armor. Should help you dodging some more."

Naruto nodded with Jiraiya, he had indeed forgotten about these seals, them being the first he had applied almost as soon as he got the armor.

Sarutobi... well he was just gaping at the armor in front of him. Simplistic-looking, deceptively light yet so insanely strong. He slowly started looking it over, hoping it wouldn't be just a genjutsu. Sure he might be old, but he was still a shinobi and if there's one thing all shinobi like, its getting new equipment. Especially high grade equipment. Sarutobi just realized that high-grade didn't even fit this wonder. Nope, it seemed Naruto needed a whole new scale on his own. Then again the kid had found a way to form electricity out of raw chakra, so that should very well point at how good Naruto really was.

The old hokage laughed. He was stupid for not realizing just how good Naruto was.

"Well Naruto-kun, Jiraiya-chan, Hinata-kun, I think a reward is in order, after all you must all have worked tirelessly to make this in time. It really is the greatest suit of armor to be worn by a Kage and I am very, very proud you let me use it. I can't imagine how much you must have have worked on it."

Naruto rubbed the back of his head while Hinata blushed at the praise. Naruto put his other hand around Hinata, happy at the praise she was getting. He then continued to make sure poor Hinata would blush a new shade of red in praise. "Yup it was real hard. Hinata-chan here had to memorise the location of every tenketsu on your body and then replicate it here, along with the shape, form and size of your chakra coils. Not to mention it had to be done _perfectly_ in order to make the whole array effective." The statement made the aged Kage go wide eyed at the implications. It meant that not only had she gotten close enough to actually memorize every detail about him, but it also spoke volumes about her skill with the Byakugan. It showed why Neji's humiliating match in the Chuunin Exams was not surprising to her team.

Naruto and the others went out of the room to let Sandaime don the armor properly. After a few minutes the Kage came out, covered from head to toe with his new armor. The jumpsuit was made out of an elastic material to fit on his aging body, while the metal was surprisingly light though obviously not fragile. Naruto grinned and you could _feel_ the grin hidden by the mask of the Sandaime.

The month progressed slowly as everyone learned more and more of their abilities.

Lee now was training harder than ever, his new Quan Dai being a major part of his fighting style. It was a truly magnificent weapon, still bringing a gleam of greed from Tenten every time she saw it. The blade on top seemed to come out of a dragon's roaring head with the kanji for dragon written on the blade. The spiked 'egg' on the bottom of the blade was just as damaging when striking the enemy. The reason? Some of Naruto's new seals. He had compressed the steel to the point of possessing the equivalent of 300kg (660lb) of steel in the same size and shape. The reason it didn't weigh as much was Naruto's and Jiraiya's combined work on gravity seals that _reduced_ weight instead of increasing it. Of course the momentum generate was still insane, but Lee was anything but normal, managing to properly wield the weapon regardless of the insane force genenrated. Lee had also started working on his own fighting style, named Ryuken, or Dragon Fist, mostly after Naruto's insistence that it sounded cool. By using raw physical, or in a couple of cases spiritual, energy, Lee was capable of feats that would leave any shinobi with their jaws hanging. As Lee himself though said, he had only mastered one attack, a poweful spinning kick named Dragon Tail. The reason he knew he had mastered it? His kick actually broke the sound barrier, sending shockwaves of force, even if the kick itself didn't manage to hit. Needless to say, getting hit by that kick was an instant KO for just about any opponent. Lee's fighting style earned him the name Ryushin (Dragon God) by the group.

Tenten had made a lot of progress with her weapons as well, able to hit targets in any direction with any speed. She could easily use present obstacles to make her thrown weapons rebound and hit a target in a blind spot. However that was nothing compared to her mastery of the black sword, Muramasa. Being thrown into Naruto's training regime 'buckle up or die', she quickly grew in terms of speed and strength. When using Muramasa, her fighting style consisted of rapid attacks, focusing on the part that the blade is mostly unblockable. Taking a leaf from Naruto's book, she had also started working on ninjutsu, just in case. What she found out was rather stunning. If she recomposed her chakra into an element before leaking it to Muramasa's coil, it would retain its elemental features, in some cases becoming much stronger than the original. As a result she had practiced quite a bit after finding out that her elemental affinity was fire, while she was showing signs of developing a wind one, thought that was still far outside her reach. Never-the-less, she was fast becoming a powerful sword master, fit for her sword Muramasa. With Muramasa being a demonic sword and Tenten being his master, he gained the name Maken no Tenten (Tenten of the Devil Sword) from the group.

Kiba had learned quite a bit, stealth from Haku, enemy appraising from Zabuza, tactics from Shino and obviously spar practice from Naruto and Anko. Naruto had enhanced both of Kiba's chosen weapons. His kama were now linked by an adjustable chain while also possessing seals enabling Kiba to from real lightning and control it by using his own chakra. His claws were similarly enhanced, with the addition he could store a variety of items inside a few storage seals on the gauntlets for quick usage. While the month progressed, Kiba made several leaps in his skill, now that he had someone to help him get better. Using several lightning jutsu Naruto... liberated from the Shinobi library, Kiba spent a lot of time reworking them to fit himself and his fighting style, Rai Ookami (Lighing Wolf). He used both his own lightning affinity as well as his weapon's true lightning generating features to enhance his attacks, letting him pierce just about any barrier. Kiba had initially tried to copy Yondaime's shunshin technique, but found out it would be impossible without mastery of seals. Instead he thought of using electricity and lightning chakra to boost his speed for short bursts. It would have worked, but Hinata stopped him, telling him that the slightest overcharge of the technique would fry his nerves, rendering him immobile for life. To remedy that, she had Naruto make Kiba a pair of greaves that would regulate and limit the chakra sent through him. Kiba named his new movement technique Inazuma Gari (Lightning Flash Hunt). While it was true that Kiba gained high speeds while using it, he was still only as fast as Haku's Makyo Hyosho and only for short bursts. It still was very helpful for the aspiring oi-nin. With Kiba's speed and new weapons, he obviously wasn't a dead last anymore. Instead he now was a serious shinobi, set on defending his pack. Woe betide those that pissed off Kiba, as the team had learned his temper made him more powerful rather than sloppy. Kiba's jutsu and style gave him the name of Ikazuchi no Ookami (Lightning Wolf, like his fighting style).

Shino's skills may not have skyrocketed like the new member's did, but that didn't mean he slacked. Instead both Kurenai and Anko worked him to the bone, forcing him to get stronger, faster, tougher, better with his kama, the whole deal. Shino's reserves had also increased a bit, enabling him to use the occasional genjutsu, something that due to his own prowess could be very, very dangerous. While not a master of the Kama, he was definitely on par with most chuunin and even a couple of jounin. When using his insect allies, he became someone you _seriously_ didn't want to meet on the battlefield. The reason? With Anko's help and his own father, Shino was able to adapt some members of his colony to use poisonous bites. Now a few poisonous bites wouldn't be dangerous, but say, oh about 100-200 poisonous insects maniacally biting, trasferring neuro-toxins... it definitely isn't a good thing. Shino's original technique of using his insects in a dome around him, letting him perceive attacks even in his blind spots had now increased considerably. He had to or Haku would have beaten the crap out of him with her new sword.

Speaking of Haku, she had learned how to use her new katana to deadly effect, especially in conjunction with her Makyo Hyosho, her wind affinity and the very, very useful chain on the other side. The chain could quickly wrap around an enemy, restraining him before Haku moved in for the hit, either to incapacitate or to kill. While Haku's ninjutsu repertoire hadn't increased that much, the extra chakra stored inside her blade was a definite plus, letting Haku unleash frozen death on her enemies for much longer. Not to mention the combo of Zabuza-Naruto-Anko that was in charge of the training regime had done wonders for the kunoichi. Now she was faster, stronger and had more endurance than ever.

Anko had spent a lot of time training with Naruto, increasing her own familiarity with her body, becoming progressively more powerful. Her lighning fast strikes now would leave any enemy reeling by the sheer fact that her combos never ended. Between her natural flexibility, a feature that was enhanced by her kekkei-genkai, her insane speed and her reflexes being sharper than ever, she flowed from attack to attack like water, never giving the slightest chance to the enemy for a counterattack. Anko's ninjutsu had increased as well, with her improved chakra reserves and control, she was able to learn the jutsu she always wanted, becoming even more lethal. She still had some trouble with Kyubi's youkai, but mostly because she couldn't stop attacking when under its effect. Kyubi had told her that her DNA wasn't as unstable as Naruto's, meaning she could channel a bit more than Naruto without getting youkai overload.

Kurenai had finally received Naruto's long promised gift. A wine-red battle kimono, extremely resistant to both tearing and other elemental attacks. Protected by the same magnetic shield array that was on Sarutobi's armor, it made sure the red-eyed jounin would not be as easy a target as she used to be. The flight feature on her back still needed some getting used to, but Kurenai could use it when needed in combat. As long as fuuton techniques weren't used. The pair of wings were made out of a lightweight metallic sceleton, covered by reinforced cloth with a few seals that created wind out of chakra. Kurenai's genjutsu list had also increased thanks to Kyubi's teachings, enabling her to attack in ways not even a sharingan would be able to confront. Thanks tot the excercises though, Kurenai's control had increased even more, to the point that now she could easily use some high leveled ninjutsu. Of course the fact that Zabuza and Anko worked her to the ground along with the rest of the group might have had something to do with it.

Zabuza had worked hard as well, sparring with Anko when he couldn't spar with Naruto. Being in Konoha had also helped the once missing-nin grow into using other techniques apart from Suiton as well as increase his own repertoire. One of his favourite attacks was surprisingly made by Hinata of all people, the powerful Suiton: Santouryudan no Jutsu (Water Style: Triple Headed Dragon Blast Technique), an attack that far dwarfed his own water dragon. He was also somehow pleased whenever he saw Hinata or anyone else use things he taught them or helped them create. He briefly wondered if senseis feel like this when teaching their students, in the end deciding he didn't really care _what_ he felt, just that it was nice. He could however do without the pranks Naruto, Anko and Hinata pulled on him occasionally. He still shuddered sometimes when he saw them speak with those annoying grins on their faces.

Hinata had grown quite a bit in all her interested areas. Her medical ninjutsu were good enough to easily use them in battle while her Jyuken was getting better and better with all the spars she had gotten in. Hinata had also improved her Suiton affinity, even creating her own ninjutsu that she taught her sensei. She knew she had nowhere near his chakra, but what she lacked in chakra, she more than made up for with her insane affinity to water. An affinity that surpassed even Zabuza's own, even with all the years of practice he had had. Of course, Hinata was rather modest about the fact, still blushing at the praise. She had to admit though, seeing her jutsu in action brought a great sense of achievement to the young Hyuga. If only her clan would see that changes like that were welcome, they would have been so much better as a whole. Hinata had also started adding some genjutsu to her repertoire, making her a very well rounded, very adaptable and therefore very powerful kunoichi. Truly, woe betide the fools that pissed her off when she it was her time of the month. She had broken quite a few bones of Anko when she made the wrong comment at the wrong time. Of course she almost went into a depressed state when she realized what she had done, but the message was clear; Hyuga Hinata is strong, independent and not someone you want to mess with. Surprised by the strength she had displayed, Hinata had started training in order to replicate it, managing to copy Tsunade's technique to a degree. It was nowhere near Tsunade of course, besides the fact it used a different focus than Tsunade. Hinata used medical chakra on her muscles to increase efficiency for a short duration, mimicking Lee's gates to a certain, limited degree, while also gathering a mass of chakra at the point of impact. With her enhanced muscles she could attack in an instant, while the chakra gathered on her palm or tonfa would explode on impact, shattering everything it came into contact with. The fact Hinata could do this in an instant, not to mention she had to split her attention into to, very delicate processes, spoke volumes of Hinata's control.

Naruto had little time to himself, with the constant spars with his group members, Jiraiya's teaching's, his quality time with Hinata and his own sealing inventions, he was worked to the bone. However, that had several positive effects. With Jiraiya's help and Hinata sneaking into her clan's compound to retrieve the notes on the caged bird seal, Naruto was well on his way to finding a way to remove and replace it with a better seal. Well the new seal was complete, but he'd have to remove the caged bird seal before applying the new one if he wanted the Hyuga to change. He had also finished another seal, this time based on his father's Hiraishin kunai. It was a summoning tatoo. Through it, the owner of one such tatoo, could summon any other owner of the same tatoo to his location. Of course it was still limited by chakra expenditure, but it was worth it, being able to summon his team to himself in a time of need. Zabuza, Anko, Kurenai, Haku, Team 8 and the Hokage all had one of these tatoos, while Jiraiya had graciously refused. He had also changed his clothes. Now he wore black pants covered with red tribal designs, a shirt that let enough of his muscled arms show while unzipped just enough to reveal the muscle underneath. A black vest that was completely unzipped covered part of Naruto's shirt. What was important though, was the trenchcoat he had gotten his hands on. It was black with blood-red and orange flames on the background, the words First Maelstrom written in red on the back, an orange fox surrounding the kanji. Numerous seals were of course employed on the items, mostly to prevent them being destroyed due to Naruto's wild fighting style and sudden, radical transformations.

Naruto now was lieing with his head on Hinata's lap after a romantic picnic, followed by a make out session. The sunset's light falling on Hinata's calm face made her look like an angel to Naruto. Slowly he moved his hand to a pocket and took out a small box. Giving it to Hinata, he was pleased to see her face light up when she saw a ring with an amethyst on it. Naruto gave a soft laugh.

"Well, I know we're too young to get married or anything, but I just couldn't help myself when I saw it. I thought you'd like it so, I bought it for you Hime. Hope you like it."

Hinata leaned and kissed Naruto before giving her reply. "It looks beautiful Naruto-kun, thank you. I love it."

When the date ended, Hinata was practically skipping for the rest of the day before she went to sleep. When she entered her room, she spotted a beautiful battle kimono lieing on her bed with a small note on it, saying 'Now you will look like the princess you really are no matter where. I hope you like it.'. Of course Hinata recognized Naruto writing and blushed a new shade of red before putting it on. It was a soft lavender color with white depictions of flowers of the lower hem. The cloth was cut on her shoulders and emphasized her cleavage with its neck cut. Her chest was protected by a simple, light breastplate that didn't substruct from its elegance, it too being covered with flower depictions. The lower hem of the kimono ended up above her knees, showing off her legs but without it being slutty, simply elegant. The sash that was used as a belt already had a place for her trusty tonfa. While the cloth was very light, it was slightly stiffer than normal, even though it looked, and felt, like silk. Looking at the back of the card, she saw some notes on her new dress. According to the 'mysterious admirer', like she didn't know who it was, the cloth was improved like Kurenai's own battle kimono, while possessing some features that were 'secret', made specifically for Hinata to find. Hinata absentmindedly noted that the kimono fitted her perfectly, making a mental note to ask Naruto on how exactly he was able to get her exact measurements. Hinata giggled as she made a few dancing moves with her new kimono, admiring its simple beauty. She giggled some more when she went to a nice restful sleep.

Naruto for his part smiled towards the moon before too retiring to his home for the month and retiring. Besides the next day would be the Chuunin Exams and he'd need everything he had. Not for Neji, no, but for Gaara. He knew the boy was unstable but extremely powerful, no doubt they'd meet in the finals. Naruto sighed a bit before drifting to sleep, Hinata's scent still fresh on his clothes.

Daybreak came and the group got dressed, with the girls admiring Hinata's new dress, and had a good breakfast. Though one would call it a feat fit for kings had they seen the amount of food consumed. With their weapons secured, in seal or sheath, the group moved out of the place that had become their home for the past month. A sun surrounded by a rainbow ring greeted the team and Naruto and Anko shuddered involuntarily. The snake coiled around the sun, a beautiful, if disastrous omen. They glanced at each other, gaining strength from each other before moving out for the village.

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**A/N: Must... stop... writing Proto-Naruto... must... focus on... other fics...**

**Damn it's not working... I got addicted to my own fic O.o**

**Ah well, things could be worse I guess :D**

**So, review and tell me your opinion. I hope you like this chapter too and I'm not rushing things too much.**

**Anyway something that I thought I should say about the previous chapter. Haku's sword ISN'T Hyourinmaru. Yeah they sound pretty similar and they are. However I never started Haku's sword with the intention of making it a copy **

**of Hyorinmaru. Storage seals for water are a MUST for Haku, considering that most of her jutsu list is suiton and hyoton. The freezing seal on the blade is also good 'cause it helps her weaken her enemies for either live capture or taking them down easier. The chain is also for the same reason and of course it required a weight to balance it. As I said to a reviewer who told me I gave Hyorinmaru to Haku, the idea for the chain-and-sword came from an old D'n'D weapon I once read about (gyroblade I think, its been sooo long since I last read those books). The crescent looked cool and frankly, much more elegant than a 'dry' sphere or cube counterweight, not to mention it can work with Haku's affinity for wind (ice is water and wind after all). The hilt's guard isn't a four pointed star, its an eight-pointed star, looking like a snowflake. Also it will have a different name from Hyorinmaru (no it won't be Daiguren Hyorinmaru, nor is she going to shout BANKAI).**

**Lee has the POTENTIAL to be stronger than Tsunade, that doesn't mean he can already do it. Don't forget that Tsunade has had 50 years to practice, so she's got one heck of a headstart. Lee WILL be strong however and he WILL kick ass, especially later on, when I can really cut loose with his techniques.**

**If you think that Tenten's punishment is harsh, think about my fic's backstory. Konoha is VERY hostile to anything relating to Kyubi, foxes or demons in any way shape or form. However most of the council are also power hungry bastards. So what Naruto said is definitely a possibility, one that to him is a fact, considering what life he had led to a point. Don't forget that Naruto is extremely paranoid in some cases, even if he doesn't always show it. Also he's very, VERY vindictive. Don't cross him and you'll be fine, cross him and they won't find your remains.**

***Runs away in fear of the Kage's Exodus fans waiting for a new chapter*  
**

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**Today, on this 9/6/2012, I, Soulblazer87, do hereby leave this site, possibly forever.**

**I shall not update this, or any other story.**

**I shall leave them on, however. Should you desire to follow my stories, do so in my new site of residence: www dot yourfanfiction dot com.**


	17. Chapter 17

_Chapter 17: Into the Storm_

Konoha was excited, it was the day of the Chuunin exams. Merchants were happy due to influx of new people in the village, enabling them to sell much more. The shinobi were happy since most would be on leave to see the matches and the rest had their own ways of seeing them. Most however, regardless of position, were happy because of the first match. Hyuga Neji, the Prodigy, against Uzumaki Naruto, the Demon Brat. Out of these people, very few actually made bets on Naruto. Their names? Yamanaka Inoichi, Nara Shikaku, Akimichi Chouza, Sarutobi Hiruzen, the Ichiraku family, Umino Iruka and Naruto's group.

People were going into the stadium, ready for the fight to begin. Neji, Shikamaru, Kankurou and Gaara were there, waiting for the rest, when the proctor arrived, signaling the begining. The two Kages sat on the booth waiting. Not a few civilians asked that Naruto be disqualified due to him not being there. In responce, Sandaime got up and silenced them.

"We shall wait for them. The fights have not started yet. If they do not come until their fight is due, they will be immidiately disqualified and punished for disrespecting everyone here. Of course that goes for all contestants. Understand? Good. Now, Proctor-san, explain the rules."

The proctor proceeded to explain the rules of the engagement, when ten minutes later, nine figures were seen walking towards the arena.

Coming from the shadows of the huge building they made many gasp at their appearence. First was Naruto, head held high in his new attire, reminding so many of the Yondaime, drawing cries of hate and blashphemy for disrespecting the man. Next was Shino, the hem of his overcoat lowered, his sunglasses on a pocket of his coat, revealing his face, that to many girls was rather handsome. The only reason Shino really wore the glasses was a minute hole between his eyes that was in fact an entrance for his insects. But since Haku told him he looked better without them... well he couldn't say no to Haku now could he? On the right of Naruto was Hinata, in her new beautiful combat kimono, drawing many looks of lust and jealousy from the people surrounding her. Behind them, Kurenai walked forward, her appearence making a certain smoking Jounin cough and hack, while almost having a heart attack. To the right of her, Zabuza walked in, the eternal feral smirk etched on his face, seen through the bandages, his Kubikiri Honcho resting comfortably on his shoulder, as opposed to the regular position on his back. Naruto had told him he looked even more badass and threatening like that. Next to Zabuza was Anko, her figure covered by a very, very tight black spandex suit that stopped just below the hem of her mini skirt, unzipped in the front just enough to reveal her new and improved cleavage. Oh yeah she had _loooved_ her new ability to change her form, improving quite a few aspects of herself. On her back was a trenchcoat similar to Naruto's but her's had the kanji for Shake Charmer and a snake surrounded them. Behind them, the rear was covered by Haku, making more than a few heads turn, at least before the heavy death glare from Shino made them return to their seats. On Haku's right was Kiba, his new greaves and gauntlets covered by his clothes, consisting of black pants, a black muscle-T and a dark grey overcoat, much like Shino's. A large leather belt secured his trusty chained kama around his waist. Next to Kiba was Lee, who also changed his attire when Hinata and Tenten finally took him for a shopping spree. Instead now, he wore dark grey, almost black hakama pants and a white Haori with ripped off sleeves, opened in the front to show his muscles. His hands were still bandaged, though this time, the bandages covered the chest as well. His hair were also spiked back a bit (think Vergil's hairstyle in DMC). During the month, Hinata, Tenten and Haku had managed to make him trim his eyebrows, as well as learn to keep his eyes narrowed, loosing the bug-eyed look he had. Diagonally on his back, Lee's Quan Dao rested, drawing many eyes due to its size and apparent power. On the other side of Haku walked Tenten, wearing a long, green chinese dress that showed off her athletic build and drew attention to her legs, while a pair of scrolls rested quietly on her hips.

Needless to say many men, and women, found their mouths feeling dry when they saw the group enter. Sarutobi and Jiraiya laughed their asses in the inside. This is so rich. Orochimaru freaked out, it couldn't be! That brat was Yondaime's son? Orochimaru felt disgusted, almost dirty at the thoughts he had about the brat. Disturbingly enough the thoughts didn't stop...

Naruto, Tenten and Shino marched toward the center of the arena, while the rest of the group leapt off to join their respective peers. Hinata went to her gaping family, while Kiba and Haku went to the rest of the rookie 9. Sakura felt rather stupid at the way she had turned Lee, now that she knew that he could look good when he wanted... Lee meanwhile leapt next to his sensei, Gai, surprising everyone by the height and strength of his jump. Gai had never seen Lee jump that height with THAT much ease. Lee bowed calmly before his old sensei, before unhooking his Quan Dao and letting it lie on his shoulder as he took a seat. Gai... was doing an immitation of a fish, his mouth opening and closing, no sound coming out. Meanwhile a smoking jounin seriously wanted to play dead so that Kurenai, who was sitting next to him, would give him CPR. Zabuza and Anko snickered as Kurenai played hard to get. After all, she'd have to make sure he would cut smoking before going out.

The proctor chose to start the match, having everyone except for Naruto and Neji leave the arena.

"Give up Uzumaki. No matter how much you try to change, you will always remain the same. It is your fate to loose to me." Neji said, trying to tick off Naruto.

"Neji, can you seriously spout that crap, even after the beating Hina-chan gave you a month ago? I mean seriously, she gave you the match after beating you up. Do you know why? Cause she didn't want to fight me. Not because of your stupid fate crap you spout left and right, but because she didn't want to fight me. Weakings like you, don't have any chance against someone as strong as Hinata, or even me. After all, you're just a blind coward to us."

Naruto's rebuke hurt Neji more than he could believe. It not only revealed that Hinata had defeated him (he would never call a loss a beating no matter how severe it was), it also told him that Hinata gave him the fight because she didn't want to fight Naruto! Then this... this... commoner proceeded to call him a blind coward!

Neji bristled at the insult and chose to finish this mockery of a match. Charging his hands with chakra he sped to Naruto, believing he could end it. Imagine his surprise when Naruto shimmered out of there. He heard a snickering coming from his left and saw Naruto standing there, arms crossed, laughing, _laughing_ and Neji's attempt.

"What? How did you do that?"

"Awww, Neji-chan, don't tell me you have never heard of the art of Genjutsu? I mean, its my _worst_ skill, but I still managed to trick you."

"How? How could you trick my Byakugan? That's impossible."

"Heh then how did I do it? The answer lies in my chakra. Your chakra is like a gas, a mist. Most shinobi are like that. Mine and a few others have more of a liquid chakra. A gust of wind may disperse a cloud of gas, but its gonna have trouble moving a body of a liquid. If I focus, I can condence my chakra to the point its almost solid, further increasing the difficulty to pierce it. Now you'd think, how did I get the control for that. Simple, I worked my ass off and realized I could never use a genjutsu small enough for my body. I simply have too much chakra for that. Instead... I covered the _entire stadium_ with a genjutsu. Every man, woman and child, every tree and speck of dust is my genjutsu. I could tear you apart right here, right now, but that's not my goal baka."

The stadium shimmered and Neji noted that there were very few changes, Namely Naruto being dislocated by a few inches. Naruto's lips curled upwards.

"I never said I changed everything. The best illusion is one that is close to the truth, yet isn't. I believe I have humiliated you enough in the area of genjutsu."

Neji was stunned. "Humiliated me?"

"Yup. I learned a lot about you from Hina-chan. I know of your obsession with that fate crap. So I thought to myself, how do I cure you of it? Simple I answered. I am going to break you down. I'm going to prove everything you believe in wrong. I am going to humiliate you completely. Then you'll realize there is no such thing as fate, only destiny and what you make of it."

Naruto's words enraged Neji who charged him, only for Naruto to raise an arm towards him and speak in a calm voice.

**"Chakra Furashu. (Chakra Flash)"**

A burst of intense chakra headed towards Neji, blinding him due to his Byakugan being activated. Neji screamed in pain.

"Ooops that hurt man, sorry. Hehe. That's what you get for being so stupid Neji, so dependent on one skill. I admit, your Jyuken is good, but without it you're worth shit. The technique I just used? Its a bloody D-rank and has sent you to the ground. Any gennin could use it and kick your ass like no tomorrow. Now get up you brat. Show me why you're the so called prodigy."

Neji got up after a few seconds, knowing full well Naruto spoke the truth, but still refusing it. After all his fate had never failed him before, it wouldn't now either. Seeing Naruto draw some shuriken and throw them, he got ready to grap them off the air, as he knew he could. When Naruto made a simple seal and said a jutsu though, things got more serious.

**"Shuriken Kage Bunshin no Jutsu. (Shuriken Shadow Clone Technique)"**

The voice was as calm as discussing the weather over a cup of tea. However the hundreds of shuriken that covered the air forced Neji to quickly use his trump card if he wanted to be something other that skewered meat. The **Kaiten**easily deflected the shuriken, sending most of them back at Naruto, who simply leaned back dodging them. Naruto chuckled.

"Oh this one's nice. Let's see if my ninjutsu can break it huh? Make sure to dodge this one!"

Naruto held both hands to the side as wind whipped around them. All Suna shinobi gaped at seeing a seal-less wind technique. One they didn't immidiately recognise at that.

**"Fuuton: Dai Kaze Rin! (Wind Style: Great Wind Ring)"** Naruto's arms whiped forward sending the dual rings of wind speeding towards Neji. Neji for his part chose to deflect them with his trusty **Kaiten**. He saw them hit the dome of chakra and his eyes widened when he saw the discs speed to him only _slightly_ slower than before. He barely managed to pivot out of the way and avoid being tri-sected, instead getting a shallow cut on his waist and torso. A voice called his attention above. Looking up he saw a dropping Naruto throwing another two. Neji quickly Kawarimi'ed with a log, only to find another ring heading towards him. He couldn't dodge it this time. He couldn't move. Neji closed his eyes as his death came closer and closer. A branch fell on his head shocking his eyes open. The disc... had missed. Naruto looked amused.

"Hey, I can't kill Hina-chan's cousin now can I? That would bad don't you think? I think that now I have humiliated you in ninjutsu. Damn man, you could at least make me work for it. Shino is the weakest member of my team in combat and he at least makes me sweat to beat him. Not to mention his specialty is tracking not combat. Yours on the other hand IS combat, so why exactly do you suck at it so much?"

Naruto's humiliation of Neji didn't go well with many people in the stands. Fangirls started shouting at Naruto, who raised his hand in front of himself like a mic, while waving his arm as if presenting the fangirls to the world.

"Behold! The terrifieing, creepy beast known only as the... Fangirl! Here, live for your enjoyment, we have braved the dreaded Fangirl's territory to let you know of their habits!"

By that time, Neji had recovered enough to try charging at Naruto who dodged without even loosing his breath.

"The Fangirl's only enemy is another fangirl, even though they seem to procreate assexually when more than one of them is near a normal female human. When two fangirls meet in combat however, a fight of epic stupidity ensues, scaring all males away."

Neji was panting at the exhertion. His fighting style was never meant to outlast his opponent. Instead it focused on defeating the enemy in a few seconds, not minutes of combat.

Naruto continued unfazed. "And now, for your enjoyment, we present you, the Fangirl's prey, the one and only, the just as creepy... EMO BISHOUJOU! I mean bishounen! Seriously Neji what are you, a feminine boy or a tomboyish girl? I can never tell with you Hyuga, with the exception of Hinata-chan. I mean seriously, you all wear the same clothes, move the same way, speak the same way... I thought I saw a cult one day when I sneaked inside. I must say though, you Hyuga looked good in pink. I think it showed your true sexual allegiance."

Hinata was laughing her ass off while most Hyuga were almost berserk with the not-so-implied insult. Neji... Poor, poor Neji... he was being publicly humiliated and couldn't do anything about it.

"SHUT UP! SHUT UP DAMN YOU!" Neji charged blindly. Naruto of course dodged. The Hyuga style required precision and a calm mind. In his current state, Neji wasn't a threat to an Academy student.

Neji flailed wildly, trying to hit Naruto, wasting a lot of energy. Naruto suddenly kicked the ground and leapt backwards. Taking a more serious stance he continued.

"Alright Neji, its time to humiliate you in Taijutsu. Take a few deep breaths and calm down. I promise I won't use any active ability of my Kekkei Genkai nor any jutsu that require handseals. Ready yourself and give me your best shot."

Neji calmed himself down, taking a few deep breaths. He still hated Uzumaki, but this time it was cold fury. Taking up his stance he sprinted to Naruto. As soon as he was there, he took a strange stance that made most Hyuga gasp.

"You're within my divination." Naruto's eyes widened a fraction, but he quickly moved to dodge the incoming barrage.

"Ni sho!" (Two strikes!)

"Yon sho!" (Four strikes!)

"Hachi sho!" (Eight strikes!)

"Juuroku sho!" (Sixteen strikes!)

"Sanjuuni sho!" (Thirty two strikes!)

"Hakke Rokujouyon sh- AAAAHH!" (Divine sixty four stri-AAAAHH!)

The barrage assaulted Naruto as he sped up to dodge the attacks. Of course, to Naruto's reflexes, his hands moved in slow motion. Only the last two stages were any sort of challenge, so to humiliate Neji, he grabbed the offending fingers and... broke them.

Neji reeled back screaming. Naruto's face was grim.

"Maybe this will teach you something about actual physical pain. A long overdue spanking session."

Neji craddled his broken fingers in pain. "What would you know of pain Uzumaki? What would you know of the pain of the Hyuga clan? No pain compares to-"

"Oh don't give me that crap Neji. I know your pain and that accursed enslaving seal. I know all about it. Hinata-chan explained everything about you to me, from the seal to your father's death to protect the life of the current head. I know it. What YOU don't know about however is your burden. You think your tiny little seal compares to this?" Naruto lifted his shirt, revealing the seal on his stomach. The village didn't know what to think. Where was the brat saying.

"Let me explain to you the reason behind the seal, the lies you've been told and the bigotry and hate of this accursed village. Say Neji, do you know what happened thirteen years ago on October 10th? The Kyubi attacked and was subsequently defeated. Kyubi though was never killed, he couldn't be killed. He was only imprisoned. Where? Simple, no altar, no adult, no animal could keep the demon lord imprisoned. Instead, Kyubi was imprisoned in a newborn child, not an hour old. Me. Yondaime's last wish was for the village to see me as a hero. Of course they didn't. I reminded them of their loved one's deaths and they hated me for it. I forgave them for it a long time ago. What I will never forgive this fucked up village is what they did. Tell me Neji, how many times have you been beaten to unconsciousness? How many times have you been burned alive? How many times have you been poisoned? How many times have you been almost raped? I had shinobi trying to burn me alive at 3, I was given poisoned food to it, on my birthday people would come en masse and try to beat me to death. All because this fucking, retarded, bigoted village is too stupid to see in front of it. So it came to pass until five years ago. The bastards that reside in this place decided to kill me again. Whoop-de-doo huh? First they started throwing bottles and stones at me. Then they came with iron bars. Then came the fire. In the end, an idiot came over me, masked, with a big sword, charged with chakra and stabbed me right here on the seal." Naruto showed where the blow had landed.

"What do you think happened? Let me tell you. The seal used by Yondaime was powerful. Know why? Because Yondaime didn't make it. Yondaime summoned the Shinigami to make the seal, making it more powerful than any man-made seal. However, Shinigami-sama has a sense humor it seems. For all its power in restraining Kyubi, the seal is very vulnerable to outside sources. If the seal was left alone, I would have absorbed Kyubi's power, weakening him, until it would be easy to seal him in an item. Because of these assholes that I am unfortunate enough to be in the same village, that will never happen. Because these idiots interferred, the Kyubi will never be weakened or sealed in an item, forgotten for all of time. Want to know why? Because the Kyubi broke free. The idiots broke the seal."

Konoha gasped collectively.

"Kyubi could have gotten out and leveled this place and quite frankly, I would have laughed my ass off as you idiots would run around like headless chickens. However, Kyubi made a miscalculation. In his greed, he sought to devour me and torture me for imprisoning him. Funny that Kyubi saw me as the hero you fuck ups never saw me as huh? Oh the irony. But, as any Yamanaka would confirm, battles like the one Kyubi initiated with me, are fought in the mental plane, where size or strength is unimportant. What matters is the strength of one's soul. Luckily, some pieces of the seal remained, giving me an advantage. Still, I as an eight year old, malnutritioned, tortured, eternally alone child... I would have to fight Kyubi no Yoko to protect the village that sought to end me. Feel lucky you fucking assholes, feel lucky and praise Kami that I had a few people that I sought to protect or you'd have all died that night five years ago. You all owe your lives TO ME! ALL OF YOU! NOT ONE BELONGS TO YOURSELVES! YOU ARE ALL MINE!"

"I fought and fought. I won in the end. The result? I'd absorb the entire power of the Kyubi no Yoko. Every memory and shred of power would be MINE! Ultimate power, ultimate knowledge."

"Can you see Neji? For an instant I had it all, so why don't I any longer? Hubris. That's why. Kyubi's power and knowledge was never meant for a mortal, much less a child. The knowledge would drive me insane, the power destroy Hi no Kuni, before the Kyubi would be re-incarnated. So... I gave it back. After I killed the Kyubi I brought him back to life. However, I was still as a god there, while Kyubi was a mere animal. Before I gave him his power and knowledge back, I gave him something else. I gave him compassion, love, caring. I gave him the entire emotional spectrum of a human being. Kyubi was very sorry for his actions, but he is that Kyubi no longer, he is different, his soul hides no secrets any more. Any Yamanaka could mind walk and find the same thing inside me. A calm, gentle giant fox with nine tails and more knowledge than the entire shinobi nations together. But tell me. In all this story... did it occur to you... why was I chosen? Did you pause to think? To ask yourself, why Naruto, why not a clan member, since he would have had more protection. Let me answer that. My heritage."

The audience, both in the arena and outside was holding its breath. Some of the people that recognised what Naruto had been put through and were truly sorry wept.

"The asnwe lies in the first rule Yondaime made for future Hokage."

The jounin gasped as they remembered that rule.

"He said... 'Don't send anyone on a mission you are not ready to go yourself'... In other words, why would Yondaime use another's son when he had his own? The answe is that he DIDN'T! He used his own son. Gave his own son the burned and priviledge to keep the Kyubi down. Not to the Hyuga, not to the Uchiha but ME. Because Yondaime was my father. I am UZUMAKI-NAMIKAZE NARUTO!"

Konohas was floored. Most thought about what idiots they were and how they should repay Namikaze-sama for their idiocy. Others were truly sorry, understanding for the first time how stupid they were. Those that never judged Naruto were angry as hell for what the rest of Konoha had done. However a large amount of people still believed that Kyubi had corrupted the Yondaime's noble line and had to be killed.

"So Neji... still think I don't know pain? How about I share with you another secret. The Kyubi didn't have to be sealed in me. Shinigami-sama could have just as easily sealed Kyubi in himself. So why me? Simply because my father wanted his son to have an advantage. Do you understand now? My own father damned me in a hellish existence the likes of which you cannot begin to comprehend. My..._village_" He spat the word. "tortured me all my life. So want to know something? Screw you and Konoha. Until you idiots start thinking, screw you. Get this well into your mind Neji. There are people who have suffered way beyond your understanding and yet come out on top. You failed because you LET yourself fail. That's why Hinata kicks your ass any day. Because she will not permit herself to fail. Understand? Good. Now get your fingers looked at. While you're at it, here's a piece of info. The seal on your forehead... Hinata hates it more than even you do. Just something to think about."

As Neji was helped out of the ring, Naruto turned to the Hyuga clan. "I apologize for the gay jokes, but it is a form of combat too. However, I will never apologize for the pranks. Quite frankly, your clan security sucks. Make a better one and give me a challenge next time."

Naruto ignored Konoha entirely and simply leapt off, landing next to his peers that were preparing for their matches. Tenten and Shino greeted him calmly, inwards laughing about Naruto's humilitation of Neji. He had it coming a long time now. The next fight was announced as being Uchiha Sasuke versus Sabaku no Gaara. However Sasuke was nowhere to be seen.

Sarutobi got up and spoke in a commanding tone.

"Uchiha Sasuke has disrespected us all. Therefore he is disqualified. However, since so many lords have come to see the last of the Uchiha clan fight, his fight will be moved to the last spot. Uchiha Sasuke however will NOT be promoted in these exams. Additionally he will serve punishment for failing to show up on time for a mission. Am I clear?"

Many thought the old man was a tired, weak shell of his former shell. However when they saw him speak in _that_ tone, even Danzou felt chills run down his spine. This wasn't Sandaime Hokage any more. This was Sarutobi Hiruzen, hero of three Shinobi wars and the God of Shinobi. The man who, in his youth could take on all three of the Sannin and spank them like nothing more than little brats. This was the man who's enemies ran from fear and his allies would follow to hell and back. The aura the man projected even had his old student Orochimaru reel back. Naruto's voice rose over the people of Konoha.

"YEAH! YOU TELL THEM JIJI! THE HOKAGE'S DEAD! LONG LIVE THE GOD OF SHINOBI! LONG LIVE SARUTOBI HIRUZEN!"

Naruto's group realized what he meant and quickly shouted "LONG LIVE THE GOD OF SHINOBI!", quickly drawing all jounin and most chuunin to shout the same with them.

The civilians were awed by the shout as the shinobi proved their loyalty. Gennin and chuunin around Konoha had that weird feeling, like walking into a room were the only other person inside was Sarutobi and every step they took, they got smaller and smaller, until they were nothing more than a spec of dust. It wasn't KI, it wasn't a genjutsu. It was the sheer _presence_ of the man, who like a phoenix, reignited his flames from his own ashes.

Next to Sandaime, Jiraiya did something he never did before. He bowed, _bowed_ to Hiruzen. Those that knew of the sennin were stunned by the action, but also they understood why he did it. Jiraiya never respected anyone for their position, but for their actions. It was he after all that went to the grave of the great Salamander Hanzou and openly mourned for his passing. This action showed the respect Jiraiya had gained for the man, the respect that came from Sarutobi overcoming his age and other troubles that came with it.

Meanwhile, the civilian council stiffled a cry of fear. They recognized that posture, those eyes, that tone. Party time was over and there would be hell to pay.

Meanwhile Gaara tried desperately to calm himself down. If he killed anyone, Naruto wouldn't fight him. Killing insignificant worms wouldn't be as fulfilling as fighting and devouring the blood of the Namikaze. He'd have to control himself until the Namikaze. Then... then he could go all out. He could enjoy the taste of his blood, the thrill of his fight, the sheer pleasure of confirming his own existence. The blood... the blood...

Gaara's siblings on the other hand were ready to piss themselves in fear, that look hadn't appeared on Gaara in a long, long time.

Meanwhile Sandaime made a single gesture, no more was needed really, and the proctor announced the start of the next fight, Kankurou against Shino, in which Kankurou gave up. Gaara seemed happier, one less boring match on his way to the Namikaze. The proctor next announced that Tenten and Shikamaru would fight. Tenten leapt down with an acrobat's grace, while Shikamaru... tried to quit. Keyword, tried. Naruto easily hefted him up and threw him in, making sure the lazy genius wouldn't get _too_ hurt. Shikamaru managed to get his balance... somwhat... managing to not embarass himself too much.

"Aaaah... this is so troublesome... I can't fight a girl... I wanna look at the clouds... they're so free..."

Tenten scoffed at him. "Oh great my opponent is a coward, preferring to watch a cloud rather than protect his friends. The match is already mine. Proctor call it, he can't fight."

The proctor wanted to do it but he obviously didn't. Instead he allowed the match to begin.

Tenten waited, and waited, and waited... until she realized that Shikamaru had apparently fallen asleep at a point. She sighed in dismay. Taking out her scroll, she took out a few kunai. Quickly she tossed one on Shikamaru, aimed to hit him on his ass gently. Shikamaru dodged at the last second.

"Sheesh, you're not gonna let me sleep are you? Troublesome. Very well... let's do it. Mom's gonna scold me if I just throw the match."

Quickly making a few handseals, Shikamaru sent his shadow to attack Tenten. Tenten on the other hand, did the unthinkable. She charged forward, dodging the shadow at the last second, before spinning around and throwing her kunai. While she was turning, she concealed her hands making the handseals for the Kunai Kage Bunshin no Jutsu and whispered the name instead of calling it out with a shout.

The seven kunai flew and multiplied, becoming more than twenty flyiung projectiles, ready to skewer everything in a short range from the shadow user. Shikamaru's eyes widend before skillfully using Kawarimi no Jutsu to dodge. Tenten sighed.

"You're so weak and predictable Shikamaru. You're also foolish. You think your high intellect will help you do everything. It won't. Not against me. I am used to fighting against Shino, who is almost as smart as you while also being much more powerful. You are pathetic."

Shikamaru sighed. Shino was definitely in a higher level. Shikamaru did enjoy playing shogi with penalties, but sometimes, raw intelligence just didn't cut it. Sitting down on his classic handseal with the tips of his fingers touching, Shikamaru started thinking of ways to win. He didn't have time to sit though, because Tenten threw him a few kunai, fast enough to force him to dodge.

"You really think I'm going to give you time to strategize Shikamaru? When that's exactly what you're good at? Who do you think I am Shika? A stupid fangirl? Give me some respect damnit."

Shikamaru sighed, he needed time to make his strategy, time he wasn't going to get. His mind tried to work it out, but he couldn't without using his special stance. He sighed and tried to use a Kawarimi and Kagemane combo, attempting to catch Tenten from behind. Tenten saw it and threw a bunch of kunai, pinning Shikamaru painfully on the wall. Shikamaru sighed, he raised his right hand to quit.

"I can't beat her, she's too fast and skillful for me. Proctor-san I-"

Tenten seemingly teleported to Shikamaru and slapped him. She then stepped back.

"So every time something's hard you give up huh? What for? Because you ain't a combat type? So what. Shino isn't a combat type either, but even though he usually looses, he still fights me to the end. You on the other hand are useless. You're not even a man, you're half a man. What if I was an enemy Shikamaru? What would you do? Quit? I'd stab you in the gut and then go kill your friends. Friends that would die because YOU are too weak to fight for them. How would you feel if I killed Chouji?" Shikamaru's eyes widened. "You'd fight back wouldn't you? Then why don't you in this case. You coward, you're unfit for the name shinobi. You think this is all a game, a match of shougi. It isn't damn it, this is a simulation of a real life situation. A simulation you failed. You have no _pride_, you have no _right _to be here in the place of Kiba or Hinata. At least _they _would defend their comrades where _you_ would give up. You're worse than scum. Get out of my face. Proctor call this farce of a fight. This weakling is just a liability."

Shikamaru ducked his head at the statement. He like many others knew what Tenten meant. He also understood what she wanted him to do. He looked at her and realized that she was right. It wouldn't matter if he was smart, without the strength to actually make a change, he'd be useless in a fight. He was weak. What Tenten however stressed, wasn't Shikamaru's weakness, but how his weakness would affect others. Shikamaru sighed, it was so troublesome...

The proctor gave the match to Tenten, as Shikamaru wouldn't even fight her. Tenten got her kunai, resealed them and leapt up to the competitor's box, where Naruto and Shino congratulated her. Naruto was especially happy, because she tried to do exactly what he had told her to. Namely force Shika to train under the threat of his friends dying. Naruto knew that, even though Shikamaru didn't share his own determination to protect his friends, it didn't mean he didn't want to. Chouji being Shikamaru's best friend, as well as being in the same squad, it meant that should Shikamaru surrender to an enemy, Chouji would get hurt. A dirty tactic perhaps, but an effective one none-the-less.

After the seriously anti-climactic battle between Tenten and Shikamaru, the proctor spoke.

"Since Uchiha Sasuke isn't here he is disqualified." Something that drew many calls of disapproval (to put it lightly) from the crowd. Sandaime got ready to interfere when Naruto, fed up with all that crap lept down to the arena.

"SILENCE!" The stadium grew silent. "How dare you act like such fools? What has Sasuke done to earn that respect? Nothing! He didn't show up, which for ANY of us here, would be immidiate disqualification. Hokage-sama was _kind_ enough to provide him with a chance to fight, but he _blew it_. He chose to disrespect you in the worst possible way. What would _ you_ say if your children died or worse, because the shinobi you hired _didn't show up in time_? Would you still trust them? I wouldn't! Shinobi don't arrive late, nor are they early. They come precicely when needed. Uchiha Sasuke is nothing but a fool hiding behind his name. Besides, what is there for us to see about an Uchiha. We all know what they do, they just copy whatever their opponents do. Its not much of a skill, quite frankly its _boring_. On the other hand, we've got contestants here that are both more powerful, with more diverse abilities or even unknown kekkei-genkai like I have. An Uchiha can only copy what others do, like nothing more than a stupid monkey, a mockery of people that worked for their skills. Shino on the other hand, while an Aburame, has skills in many non-combat skills, Tenten can hit any target, any speed, any time, any angle. Gaara-san, has unique abilities, not seen before. As do I. Ask yourselves, who do you really want to see fight? A perpetually late shinobi who only copies his opponents in the hopes they loose to chakra exhaustion, or someone that can actually do something unique? In the end who would you trust your children to? A mentally unstable brat or someone who is a professional? Your choice."

Naruto turned around and jumped up again landing next to Tenten and Shino. He really hated when people said how awesome Sasuke was when the brat was just a jackass. He was no survivor of the massacre, his brother probably didn't want to dirty the blade with Sasuke's blood. Shino and Tenten were thinking on the same lines, they too hated the way Sasuke was treated, more like a prince than a person, hiding behind his family's name.

Sarutobi rose once again and spoke in _that_ tone, commanding respect. "Be silent." It was not a shout, it was calm speaking. "Uchiha Sasuke has been disqualified. There will be a break for ten minutes before the second round begins, with Uzumaki-Namikaze Naruto against Sabaku no Gaara."

The Uchiha supporters pretty much shut up at the tone, while the proctor declared the break for the new round of betting. Gaara walked up to Naruto slowly.

"Why do you still protect Konoha, Namikaze?"

"Because Gaara... I have some prescious people here. People that saw me for me and not the beast within. I don't care about anyone else. But if someone, _anyone_, threatens these prescious people... I'll decimate them. Konoha can quite simply go fuck itself. However, as long as my prescious people remain here, I will protect it, because I'll be protecting them. It is simply that simple Gaara."

"I see... I look forward to crushing you and your 'prescious people' Namikaze. Their deaths will make your blood taste so much better to Mother."

Gaara turned around leaving a frowning Naruto and a seriously creeped out Tenten behind. Shino didn't show much emotion, he had seen Naruto loose it in Wave, not many things compare to that experience. Shino placed a hand on Tenten's shoulder calming her down.

"Do control yourself, Tenten. It is both unseemly and unneeded to act so. Naruto has everything under control."

Tenten calmed down and removed her hand from the seal she had subtly placed it on. A seal that pictured a black sword with a dragon coiled around it...

Time passed and Naruto's fight with Gaara was coming. Konoha was still trying to recover from Naruto's revelation. Most were either outright hostile, believing the demon had corrupted the line or ready to grovel in the hopes of gaining something from Naruto's heritage and inheritance. Naruto himself was almost swamped by fangrils when they found him, before Hinata showed up and explained to them that the territory was marked. The fangirls meeped for the most part, but when some advanced to Hinata, Naruto placed himself between them, giving them a clear message; don't touch her or else.

Hinata had also been looked upon funnily by her clan. Her father considered marrying Naruto into his clan via marriage, while Hanabi was shocked. When Hiashi told Hinata to 'court him into the Hyuga clan so the clan will grow stronger', Hinata almost executed the man, and would have done so if not for Kiba holding her back. It was quite the revelation for Hanabi, who until that time believed everything her father had told her, namely that Hinata was weak, Naruto was a dead-last demon and that the secondary branch was nothing but sub-Hyuga, used to dump failures. Hinata grabbed her little sister and took her to the side, explaining everything to her, showed her the many, many faults of the Hyuga clan. In the end, Hinata placed a burden on her little sister, Hanabi would change the Hyuga clan, but not alone. She'd have the Inuzuka, Aburame, Namikaze-Uzumaki and Sarutobi family at her side. Not to mention a Seal Master that would help them break the chain of hate in the clan.

Hanabi had a hard time accepting everything though, it was radical, too radical for her ordered mind. At least until Naruto came and joined the discussion. The poor girl almost blushed (Hyuga except Hinata _don't_ blush), understanding why her big sister had such a crush on Naruto.

Soon came the time for the much awaited fight, Sabaku no Gaara against Uzumaki-Namikaze Naruto.

Gaara used a shunshin to get down, while Naruto landed near him, after having jumped all the way from the Hokage Monument. The crater was rather impressive. The proctor hurried to start the fight, as both combatants looked ready to tear the place down and, judging from their apparent abilities... they could.

As soon as the signal was given, Gaara's gourd exploded into motion, unleashing a torrent of Sand on Naruto. Naruto for his part, cut the joking and leapt back with lightning speed. Then he charged.

Naruto's true speed left people gaping, he zoomed faster than most chuunin could see, right into Gaara, slamming his fist into his stomach, only for Gaara to explode into sand and attempt to engulf Naruto, while tendrils of sand came from behind. Naruto leapt back and started running along the tendrils, leaping from side to side, a black and red blur, before charging the newly revealed Gaara. Gaara for himself readied a wall of sand and sent it crushing onto Naruto. Right before they collided... wind blew and tree leaves obscured vision, a pair of figures appearing within, back to back. The leaves were blown away to reveal Hatake Kakashi and Uchiha Sasuke. The fight immidiately stopped as Naruto leapt away.

"Yo! We weren't late were we?" Said Kakashi raising his hand in a relaxed greeting. Half the stadium face palmed, while every dignitary began murmuring about the lack of respect and professionalism.

Naruto spoke, before the proctor. "Actually you were. Sasuke got disqualified for not being here, thereby disrespecting everyone as well as lack of professional behaviour. So yeah, take duck-butt out of here weakling."

Kakashi and Sasuke were shocked. Disqualified? But how? Sasuke was an Uchiha, an elite, he shouldn't have been disqualified. Kakashi turned to Naruto.

"I highly doubt that Uzumaki-san. I am sure Hokage-sama didn't disqualify Sasuke-kun. After all-"

"Its Uzumaki-Namikaze, learn it in one you retard. Then again you'd have known if you were anything _close_ to a competent jounin you thieving fool. Now get out, I've got a fight to finish."

Kakashi was left stuttering, Namikaze? That was impossible! Turning to the Hokage, he tried to make a rebute. He didn't have the time because the old man rose to his full height, that aura of respect surrounding him.

"Naruto is right. Sasuke is disqualified and shall be accordingly punished for lack of professional behavior. As for you Hatake Kakashi. Since you are a jounin, I'd have expected you to know when to NOT be late. It seems your tardiness has spread to your brain as well as your feet. You are demoted to the rank of Chuunin and it will be written into your file. Oh and before I forget, you will give me a full list of every technique you have stolen over the years, including how to perform them and all details of how you have acquired them. Inoichi-san will then walk your mind to find any lies. If you miss even _one_ technique your sharingan eye will be removed. Any techniques that belong to Konoha shinobi that have been copied by you or Sasuke, will also be removed if the owners do not wish you to know them. Attempts to use the sharinan to copy them again, will result in life time imprisonment as well as removal of the sharingan from the both of you. Am I clear?"

Kakashi and Sasuke just stared at Sarutobi, feeling the full weight of the power of the aged shinobi. Sasuke was almost ready to faint, not even Orochimaru had such a powerful aura. When Kakashi stuttered some more, in search of a rebutal, Sarutobi added his KI to the equasion, making both kneel.

"I said. Am I clear?"

Sarutobi's voice boomed in the shinobi's heads. So that was the power of a Kage, thought Sasuke, immidiately activating his Sharingan to try and combat it, his cursed seal acting up. Kakashi knew better than fight Sarutobi now, the old man was pissed. Nodding quickly he tugged on Sasuke.

"Come on Sasuke-kun, let's go." Sasuke pulled away from Kakashi, turning to Naruto.

For some reason, Sasuke knew it was Naruto's fault. Everything was Naruto's fault. Everything... He hated Naruto, he hated the dead-last, he hated his annoying smile, he hated the way he spoke and moved. He absolutely loathed him. Absolutely despised him. Sasuke turned to Naruto.

"Its your fault isn't it Uzumaki? Everything is your fault! Everything!"

"If you're talking about you being disqualified, then yeah both right and wrong. You were going to be disqualified anyway, but if you had been here before my fight with Gaara started, you could still have gotten to show off. Seems you fucked up big time didn't you? By the way, my name is Uzumaki-Namikaze, learn it unless you're too stupid to do something so simple."

Sasuke had stopped listening to Naruto at 'right', his mind echoing with Itachi's words. Hate... hate... hate... hatehatehateHateHateHATE!

Sasuke screamed, Orochimaru's seal activating, quickly he activated his sharingan, while lighting sparked on his hands. "I WILL KILL YOU!"

Before Kakashi could react, Sasuke had rammed his chidori through Naruto's chest and heart. Sasuke started laughing maniacally.

"Yes! YES! I HAVE KILLED YOU! WITH THIS POWER I KILLED YOU NARUTO! NOW I CAN KILL ITACHI! HAHAHA! I WILL KILL YOU ALL!"

In the stands, Konoha was stunned, was that their prince? Most looked at Sasuke, saw his maddened face as he laughed at killing everyone. More people stood with Naruto now. Sarutobi was pissed as hell but not that worried, he knew Naruto was fine. Hanabi was surprised when she saw Hinata giggle. Turning to her sister, she asked why she was laughing. Hinata giggled some more.

"Because Naruto-kun is such a great actor. That hit didn't come close to actually killing him."

Hanabi had just enough time to look back to see and hear Naruto cackle.

"Hehehe is that it teme? You done now?"

SPLAF!

That was the sound that echo'ed as Naruto backhanded Sasuke on one of the walls in the arena, leaving spiderweb-like cracks as Sasuke fell like a sack of potatoes. Kakashi looked and imitated a fish before asking.

"Why... why aren't you dead... you... you should be dead..."

Naruto cackled some more, this time sounind like an evil demon. "Aww you sound almost sad Hatake-teme. Yeah the duck-butt got a heart. So what? I got more than one. I also heal very fast. See?"

Indeed the wound had almost dissapeared, even the clothing repaired itself, thanks to the numerous seals on it. "That would be my Kekkei-genkai. Well the _passive_ abilities I get from it. And I haven't even started. I said it before didn't I? Sharingan ain't got shit on me. To me and my clan, the sharingan is nothing but utter shit and so is just about every user of it, with ONE notable exception. An exception his own family exiled because he wasn't strong enough. Gotta love them don't ya? Especially when they kill their best friends and lovers for just a bit more power. Oh lookie, Hebi-teme's hickey is giving him a boost. He still looks like crap to me though."

Sasuke got up, cursed seal spreading all over him, another Chidori readied. Naruto mumbled 'here we go again' and waited. Sasuke charged.

Just before the chidori got slammed through Naruto, he grabbed it with his right hand and raised Sasuke in the air like an annoying five-year old brat. He then began squeezing the wrist, until with a sickening crack it was crushed. Sasuke fell down writhing in pain. Naruto turned to an annoyed Gaara.

"Gaara-san, you don't mind if I take out the trash do you? You can take care of Hatake-teme here if you want. I'd suggest not killing him yet though, he still has his punishment to receive." Gaara nodded before forcing Kakashi to a hasty retreat with his sand. Naruto looked at the downed Sasuke. "Now let's see what's the punishment for attempting to kill a fellow Leaf Shinobi? Ah yes I remember. Death. I'm not gonna kill you though, weakling. I am going to give you some punishment though. Nighty night jackass."

Naruto exploded with a punch to Sasuke's face, followed by three elbow strikes to the chest, a slam on Sasuke's nose by the back of Naruto's elbowing hand, a right cross punch on Sasuke's temple, a knee to the gut and a right uppercut. Sasuke collapsed on the ground, moaning in pain. Naruto made a 'camera' with his hands before targetting Sasuke and the exit to the medic bay. Getting an absolutely evil smile etched on his face... he kicked the downed Sasuke straight into it.

Turning to see the weird look Gaara sent him he said; "What? I got him there fast didn't I?" Konoha faceplanted.

Kakashi was trying to get things back on track, but between an unprovoked attack to a Konoha Shinobi, a pissed off Hokage and an angry jinchuuriki... it was hard. He still tried to chastice Naruto though.

"Naruto! What did you do to Sasuke! You almost killed him."

Those that knew Naruto, as well as Gaara, snickered. Naruto gave a foxy smirk. "But I didn't did I? Besides, it isn't like I really went at him. If I had gone serious on the prick, he'd be a smear on the walls now. I made sure not to kill Ms. Duckbutt, he ain't gonna move for a while though. Now get the fuck out of my fight Hatake-teme, I got one heck of a fight waiting and I don't want you messing it. Right Gaara?"

Gaara simply nodded, while the proctor escorted a shaken Kakashi out. As soon as the hindrances were gone, the fight started anew.

Naruto dodged countless tendrils of sand, moving like a blur to dodge and strike at Gaara. The blonde dashed, using the sand as a movable platform to get within striking position. Something that wasn't that easy, considering how Gaara's sand would move near instantaneously to defend, while also possessing the same advantage as Shino's attacks, namely offence being interchangeable with defence.

Eventually the blonde-topped, black blur landed in front of Gaara, one hand cocked back for a gut punch. The violent hit sent a shockwave through the sand as it tried to absorb the shock. Gaara actually grunted, being sent back. Naruto smirked and leapt back.

"Well, seems that I too can tear that armor down like Lee. Unlike Lee though, I have something up my sleeve." Naruto said before begining to change his form. He shifted the form of his legs, configuring them for fast bursts of speed, formed his arm blades, knowing his claws would have a hard time cutting through the sand, and lastly made a tail emerge from his tailbone, since he'd need it to hold the balance while running at full speed. The last motion he made with his hands was passing them over his heart, whispering something. As a result, the restraints he and Jiraiya had placed on his body were lifted. In just a few seconds Naruto's Kekkei Genkai was fully activated. Naruto smirked as Konoha and well, just about everybody in the stadium watched in shock. "This is my Kekkei Genkai, Mugen Shinka, Infinite Evolution. My DNA had become unstable due to this village's stupidity. However, with me being not only an Uzumaki, but a Namikaze as well, I managed to turn it into an advantage. The strongest Kekkei Genkai out there. Get ready Gaara. This fight has just began!"

Naruto charged ahead onto Gaara, his blades held at the sides, while his tail was trailing behind him, keeping the balance despite being almost parallel to the ground, a trail of dust following Naruto due to his insane speed.

Naruto's arm blades hacked and slashed at the flying sand, tearing open a path for him, a straight charge that left the Suna Shinobi staring in fear and awe at the event. Back at the stands Shino turned to Kankurou and Temari. "I hope you have said your farewells to Gaara-san. There are very, very few people that can face Naruto when he's like that." Next to Shino, Tenten was giggling insanely at the fight, feeling Muramasa's urge and desire to fight and cut as well.

At the Hyuga seats, Hinata let an evil giggle loose, scaring Hanabi who was sitting next to her. When Hanabi took a look at Hinata's face, the poor girl almost freaked out at the look of sheer anticipation and glee Hinata was displaying. Needless to say, when Hiashi saw that, he reconsidered ordering Hinata to do anything. It was the same look Hinata's mother had right before beating the ever so living daylights out of a Hyuga elder that dared command her to put the cursed seal on the unborn Hanabi. The elders sitting next to Hiashi felt the urge to meep, remembering that look very, _very_ well.

Kiba howled together with Akamaru, seeing Naruto charge Gaara. That was what he had been waiting for, he wouldn't loose this show for the world. Next to him Haku considered cheering Naruto, but Shino would be jealous so she only allowed a smirk. Sakura and the rest of Konoha 12 were rather scared at the display, the bloodlust in the air cowering them.

At the jounin stands, Lee smirked before declaring that Gaara would loose. Gai tried to make a rebuke, but the confidence shown in Lee stopped him. Asuma of course did ask why he was so certain. Lee made a half smile.

"Because I have faced Naruto's full flames of youth. This... is just the begining. He hasn't even started using fuuton and Gaara knows it. Naruto's full strength... I went against it and trust me when I say, Gai-sensei, you'd have lost. I survived _barely_, mostly because of my new power. Watch closely. You'll see what I mean. Well if Gaara-san is strong enough that is. If he isn't... I'll have to fight Naruto-kun. Me, Tenten and Anko are the only ones who can take him on. But only as a team if we don't want him killed."

While the jounin were trying to recover from that, Zabuza and Anko laughed, rubbing their hands together in anticipation. Neither would say it, but they both loved sparring with Naruto. He was the only one that could push them to the edge. The rest of the jounin turned to Naruto who at that moment was charging at Gaara's motionless form.

Naruto had cut open a path to Gaara, raising his right armblade to the height of his head, readying an impaling motion aimed at Gaara's midsection. With a roar, Naruto's blade rushed forward, reaching insane speeds as Naruto's entire kinetic force was transferred into it. In a motion that could rival a Chidori, Naruto's blade rushed forth, impaling Gaara. An instant later Gaara's form collapsed, leaving a vacant coccoon of sand. A few feet further, Gaara's form emerged from the ground. As the form rose, a small cut on Gaara's midwaist bled some blood. What mattered though was the look on his face, the look of absolute madness. The voice that came from his face was filled with madness and hate.

"Blood... my... my BLOOD! **Uzumaki... I will KILL YOU!"**

Sand gathered and contorted, forming around Gaara's right arm, creating a monstrous extension. In the stands the people fell silent in shock. Gaara's siblings freaked out. It wasn't good, in fact it was very, _very_ bad. If Gaara lost it, things would get messed real fast. In the stands, Kabuto was still wondering why Orochimaru still hadn't given the go for the attack. Orochimaru on the other hand was thinking about quite a few things. He'd get to see more of Naruto's fighting, which would be very good in case he had to fight him again. On top of that, Gaara would at least weaken Naruto, so his agents, or even himself, would be able to kill him. If Naruto wouldn't accept Orochimaru, then Orochimaru would destroy him. So, Orochimaru would wait and see, he'd wait for Naruto to get tired before striking. No matter Naruto's power, the hundreds of Shinobi that were ready to attack in an instant would kill Naruto, kill Yondaime's son, kill the one that defied his power. A cruel smirk made itself on Orochimaru's face.

On the other side of the arena, Hinata was busy looking at Naruto's ass when he dashed with his trenchcoat flying behind him. Her thoughts taking a perverse tone she made a giggle worthy of Jiraiya, once again startling Hanabi and Hiashi. Once again Hiashi's worst fears confirmed themeslves; Hinata not only was a near-perfect copy of her mother, she was also deeply in love with the Namikaze brat. On top of that, Hinata didn't seem so submissive any more, nor did she suck in Jyuken, like she used to. Fighting the urge to gulp, Hiashi took his leave to explain some things to Neji. It wouldn't do for him to keep such secrets, as Hinata herself repeatedly told him.

Meanwhile, Naruto seeing Gaara freak out, leapt away, making handseals. Drawing a bit of blood by pricking one of his fingers, he placed his hand on the ground.

**"Kuchiyose no Jutsu! Shizukani Taiyo! (Summon Technique! Quiet Sun!)"**

From the smoke, eight tails emerged and as it dispersed, a house-sized fox revealed itself. A quiet, yet filled with authority, voice spoke.

**"Greetings Naruto. What do you wish of me? I have a lot of research still left to complete."**

The voice sounded like a person's own grandmother, yet strong, if not a bit... impatient. Naruto managed to somehow bow while dodging the humongous arm of Gaara, before replieing.

"This boy in front of me is Sabaku no Gaara, Ichibi no Jinchuuriki (Human Sacrifice of the One Tail). I could attempt to cut his youkai with Gogyo Fuuin (Five Elemental Seal) but I don't know his own seal. I need you to seal Ichibi properly Taiyo-sama."

**"Very well Naruto. It is obvious you are unfit for that job, therefore I shall perform it for you. I need you to make Gaara draw out as much power of Ichibi as possible."**

"Hai Taiyo-sama."

Naruto bowed once again, before dashing off, this time running across the walls. With no chakra. Leaping off, he drew his hands back before whipping them forward, setting loose a pair of wind jutsu.

**"Fuuton: Dai Kaze Rin! (Wind Style: Great Wind Ring!)"**

The rings cut through the sand tendrils, making an opening for Naruto. Naruto went right through the opening, landed on the ground with the grace of a panther and then like a panther too, he launched himself forward, drawing his claws in an instant. To most, Naruto simply disappeared and reappeared behind Gaara, leaving fresh slashes on the body of the Jinchuuriki.

More sand covered Gaara's body, stopping the bleeding while making him stronger. Naruto snarled. Annoying sand. Once again the torrents came, along with the crazed Jinchuuriki, forcing Naruto to momentarily retreat, before closing back in. Naruto somersaulted behind Gaara, mid-air making three clones. The clones prepared and fired an assault of **Dai Kaze Rin**, while Naruto formed his armblades before pumping immense amounts of chakra into his right blade. A huge blade of wind formed over the bladed arm, extending Naruto's reach. With a swiping motion, the blade cut through the sand. Gaara saw that and raised his arms in defence. In responce, more and more sand gathered to shield the red-head.

**"Kaze Setsudanki! (Wind Guillotine!)"**

**"Suna no Tate! (Shield of Sand!)"**

The two techniques collided, but in the end the shield held strong. Naruto's clones however, managed to sneak past by jumping over it, slamming their fists on Gaara's form. The force of the punch sent Gaara skidding along the ground as some of his armor collapsed. However it reformed not a second later, this time covering even more. Naruto knew that he was getting close to his goal, but that didn't mean he had to like it. Not to mention he was attacking someone else like him, someone who knew the pain of being a jinchuuriki. The explosion of sand quickly took out the clones as well as attempt to go after Naruto himself. However by that time, Naruto had already made his escape.

Once again the two Jinchuuriki collided, speed and strength going against endless torrents of sand. Meanwhile the summoned fox, was taking in everything but wasn't moving from her spot. Naruto had summoned her to seal Ichibi properly, not aid him in his fight.

Naruto charged again, this time using **Kaze Setsudanki** on both arms. The combined power may not have cut right into Gaara, but it sure as hell made a way to get there. Naruto's claws appeared again, chakra pumped into Naruto's legs and an instant later a new set of cuts showed themselves on Gaara. Naruto didn't settle for just the cuts though, as he immidiately unleashed a torrent of kicks, sending Gaara back with the force behind them.

Gaara's body slumped on the wall... He remembered all the other times he was attacked and betrayed... most important of them all his own uncle...

**"I won't... I won't... I won't let my existence disappear! I WILL KILL YOU UZUMAKI NARUTO! YOU AND EVERYTHINH YOU HOLD DEAR! I WILL KILL EVERYTHING! MY EXISTENCE WILL NOT DISAPPEAR!"**

Sand swirled around him and grew out of proportion, becoming something huge... a one-tailed Tanuki made out of sand. Blue lines marking it, it roared, shaking Konoha.

Back in the stands, Hinata smirked again, this time Hiashi and Hanabi questioned her sanity. They didn't know how much Naruto loved to fight a strong opponent. With an enemy like that Naruto would be finally able to cut loose, finally able to unleash all his pent up fury.

Kiba felt the urge to howl, the urge to fight and kill and hunt. He squashed it though and settled for letting a very feral smirk make its way to his face. Haku, being Haku, tried to make the scared Konoha Gennin calm down.

Tenten... was being restrained by Shino... Why? Because she wanted to fight the giant Tanuki. She screamed again and again, threatening to castrate Shino with a rusty spoon, causing the eyes of the other shinobi to bulge, a 'WTF?' expression on their faces.

Back in the arena, the fox summon called out to Naruto. **"Naruto, knock him out now. I have all that I need to seal the tanuki away."**

Naruto didn't need to be told twice as he leapt away to safety. He grinned at Gaara's terrifieing form, before digging his feet on the ground and placing his arms before him, palms open.

Kiba and the others recognised the stance. Lee laughed, drawing the attention of Gai. "Naruto-kun is finally getting serious. This is his most powerful attack."

Zabuza took it from there. "Yah, an attack so powerful it would make ya run for cover."

Anko giggled, _giggled_. "Heehee, my otouto's finally getting serious. This is so much fun!"

Kurenai smiled. "Asuma, pay attention. This is one heck of an attack. It's stronger than anything else I've seen till now. AND CUT SMOKING WILL YOU?"

Back in the gennin area, Kiba smirked. "Wahoo! Naruto's finally got his ass in gear! Hang on tight and pay attention! This is the power of a prodigy!"

Tenten stopped struggling, instead choosing to watch at the incoming power struggle mesmerized. Oh how she loved fights like that!

Around Naruto, wind whipped around him, making a small tornado with the debri flying around him. It began to gather on his arms, two violent distortions on Naruto's hands. To those with advanced sight, they would see a pair of drills, consisting of tens of helix-shaped wind blades. Kakashi was stumped. It looked much like a Rasengan spinning in one direction. Naruto started charging the jutsu, the chakra now visible to everyone with shinobi training. Even those that didn't have any though, were more than able to sense the building power.

In the stands, the gennin were asking Kiba what attack that was. Kiba smirked. "This is Naruto's most powerful Fuuton jutsu. Its name is..."

Back down in the arena, Naruto had finished charging. The stupid Tanuki had remained standing way too long. Time to even out the odds.

**"Rasen... (Spiral)"**

The winds whipped stronger.

**"...fuu... (...wind...)"**

Chakra gathered in explosive amounds behind the two drills as Naruto allowed them to touch each other.

**"...ho! (cannon!)"**

That was it. The chakra exploded, launching both drills forward. As they flew forward, they touched and the helix-caused drives caused them to twist with each other, making a scewdriver-shaped blast. The technique sped up to unimaginable levels, one huge blast of power. Then it struck.

**BOOM!**

The attack exploded on Shukaku's unmoving form,the resulting explosion of wind and chakra tearing the massive beast down as all sand was blown away. The blades released from the attack dug deeply into the surrounding walls, a testament to the strength of the technique's power. Wind rushed back to fill the place it was explosively sent away from, creating a vaccuum that was felt even to the most far-away stands.

A small figure dropped from height. Another figure blurred under it and caught the first one. Both landed safely, Naruto holding Gaara in his arms. The insane red-headed jinchuuriki bled for multiple cuts, just barely conscious.

"Why... why did... you save me... Uzumaki..."

"Because I didn't want to fight you in the first place Gaara. However you threatened my prescious people Gaara... The people that saved me from my own dark hell. The same hell this place threw me in. I know your pain, the pain of ultimate loneliness. I was... lucky I guess to find someone that appreciated me. You never had that did you? Gaara...I know that pain, I felt it too. Now though, I'm out of that dark hell. If you want, I'll help you as well. I'll be your friend."

"Friend? You would be my friend? Knowing what I am?"

"Nope. I know _who_ you are Gaara. As do your sister and brother. Look at them. This is the feeling of sadness. Someone else's sadness about you. They feel sad because they care Gaara. They could have run and leave you to the wolves. But they didn't. They stood here. Give them a chance Gaara, a chance to prove that they do care."

"Uzumaki... I have... lost... You win. I thank you."

Meanwhile, the kitsune was readying herself. Approaching them she shifted into a more human form, since it would be easier to apply the pigments for the seal. Drawing a number of symbols around it, she placed her palm on it.

**"Seventh Star Seal!"**

A burst of light blinded all. When it went away, Gaara was unconscious, but with a peaceful expression on him. On the other hand, the kitsune looked angry.

"Damned humans, meddling with others. No wonder the kid was going insane. Hold him steady. **Demonic Soul Imprisonement!"**

The Kitsune-turned-human's hands glowed and sank into Gaara's stomach. In seconds she withdrew them, her hand holding a globe of light. Quickly she took a small pendant from a case on her thigh before placing the globe inside. The kitsune sighed before poofing away as Gaara's siblings arrived. Naruto handed Gaara to them and told them to go and hide. The reason? Let's have a small flashback.

_Flashback - Moment of Sealing_

_**"Seventh Star Seal!"**_

_Orochimaru was many things, but being an idiot wasn't one of them. He knew when his pawns were out of his reach. Knowing he had just lost a great weapon, made him feel very happy at the reinforcements he had called. Giving Kabuto the go ahead signal, he waited for his loyal servant to perform the genjutsu._

_In the stands, the people were too focused on the fight that had just ended to notice the Genjutsu. Even the ones that did, most of them weren't strong enough to fight it off. Kurenai quickly sent a burst of chakra as she cancelled all genjutsu in a 50ft radius, making a mental note to thank Kyubi. If it hadn't been for his training, she'd have died from the exhertion. Gai and Kakashi blurred into action ready to take down any and all enemies to Konoha. Lee on the other hand...simply got up and hefted his huge polearm on his shoulder before giving Kurenai a nod. Anko and Zabuza smirked at each other, silently agreeing to a small competiion between them before vanishing. Kurenai remained motionless for only a second before she too blurred into action._

_Kiba thanked Kami Kureanai had taught him about Genjutsu. With her as a sensei, it was easy to break the sleep jutsu. Next to him Haku drew her blade, Hyoryu, and readied herself, her eyes growing cold. Naruto had been right. War would come to Konoha and they would be damned if they let their prescious people die from it._

_Trusting Hanabi's life to Hiashi, Hinata drew her tonfa in one fluid motion as she jumped to higher ground to identify the attackers. What she saw scared her a bit. In the distance, at the gates, explosions could be seen. Activating her Byakugan, Hinata bristled with fury. Hanabi was alone. Her father had abandoned her. Her anger reached new heights as she saw shinobi heading for her little sister. With the a fury that would put a mother bear to shame, Hinata drew the blades of her tonfa before charging the scum that dared near her little sister._

_Tenten shouted in victory, someone she could really fight! Next to her, Shino quietly drew his dual Kama, readying himself for combat, trieing in vain to remove thoughts about Haku's safety from his mind._

_In but a few seconds, the stadium was filled with fighting, something the Suna siblings used to get to their brother. Even if he did act like a moster most of the time, he still was their little brother._

_Flashback End_

Naruto ground his teeth. He sometimes hated it when he was right. No matter. It was time to fight and kill, tear and rip. Shinobi drew their weapons and descended on their targets. Seeing a Suna shinobi move towards his Hinata... Naruto snarled and roared. Noone, _ noone_ touches his Hinata! Claws came to his hands and Naruto dashed.

* * *

**A/N: Whoah this one's big. 16+ pages in Wordpad as opposed to my usual 8-9. Guess I'm just that awesome :D**

**In a sadder note, I won't be able to write and publish for a little bit, my parents and I are going on vacation so, for some days at least I'll be out. I am honestly so sorry.**

**I tried to get a chapter in Kage's Exodus as well, but I got addicted into this one and now I don't have the time to do it D:**

**Once again I apologize.**

**Someone asked about why Sandaime called Jiraiya-chan and Hinata-kun. No I didn't confuse them. He called Jiraiya-chan because he wanted to annoy him a bit (Ma and Pa toads also call Jiraiya like that if you noticed). He called Hinata-kun for a different reason. It showed familiarity, without it being too much. Not to mention that Naruto is rather... overprotective to say the least. You don't call Hinata-chan, not ever. Being possessive is a trait passed down to him from Kyubi, one that isn't too bad in my opinion. Next time you make a review with a question in it, enable me to send you PMs. I do so hate having to reply here.**

**Onto some things for this chapter.**

**Tenten's behaviour. Yep Tenten's bloodthirsty. What did you expect? She's got a demonic sword with empathic abilties and Anko, Zabuza and Naruto as senseis. She's not exactly evil or insane, far from it. She just enjoys fighting a tad too much. Not about killing, just the adrenaline of the fight. The whole let-me-go-I-wanna-fight thing was more of a game she and the others play. Just don't be surprised when the rest of the team get bloody. They are shinobi, killing is a fact of life and I'm not going to sugar-coat it. This is a mature fic, so blood, death and gore will be abundant.**

**STOP! JUTSU TIME! (Ok, ok I'll be good!)**

**Suna no Tate (Shield of Sand). A technique utilized by Gaara when threatened. He compresses the sand around him to form a wall tougher than steel. It protects him from only one direction though, so it doesn't come useful all that much.**

**Rasenfuho (Spiral Wind Cannon). A fuuton jutsu Naruto made thanks to Jiraiya's instruction in making a Rasengan. Naruto creates a pair of drills composed of wind blades in the form of a helix. Because of the alignment and spinning of the wind blades, when the drills touch, they spin as they rush forward, much like a corkscrew rush. The dual rotations included (the drills themselves as well as the rotation caused by the drills) increase penetrating power to insane levels. Thanks to an explosion of chakra behind the drils, they are launched forward at speeds that anyone without a Mangekyou sharingan (or similar ability) wouldn't even realize they are a projectile attack. Most believe this attack to be a beam thanks to the insane speeds. However, because Naruto needs time to charge the attack and its trajectory is too obvious, he rarely uses it, unless of course the enemy can't dodge it. Chakra Cost: S, Control: B (due to the cost required, it is actually easy for Naruto to learn it), Rank: S.**

**Seventh Star Seal: A sealing technique utilized by Shizukani Taiyo to seal the Ichibi properly inside Gaara. Any other functions of the seal are unknown.**

**Summon Details:**

**Name: Shizukani Taiyo (Silent Sun)**

**Tails: Eight**

**Abilities: Kitsune-Bi, Intelligence, Seals, Priestess**

**Bio: Smaller than the rest eight-tailed Kitsune summons, barely the size of an average five-tailed kitsune, Shizukani Taiyo proves that it isn't a matter of size, but rather skill. Showing talent in sealing and priestly skills from an early age, she has long since become an extremely powerful kitsune, who can fight almost on par with Kyubi if given enough time. There are only a few things that interest Shizukani Taiyo, or Taiyo-baa-sama as is more often called, and these are mostly teaching and acquiring more knowledge, especially on seals. That's why, when summoned, Shizukani Taiyo can get quickly upset if her powers aren't absolutely necessary. Shizukani Taiyo has white, rich fur with lavender streaks while her eyes are electric blue. In her human form, her skin is pearl white while her hair is lavender. In that form she also prefers to wear a lavender-streaked white kimono made of the purest silk. The only sign that denotes her as Kitsune is the fact that she still sports kitsune ears and tails in human form. While an old kitsune, she doesn't act or appear old. In fact she appears just like she was in her prime, something that has left many older kitsune scowling. Of course that only served to amuse her.**

**Motto: "Either give me something important to do, or let me get back to my research. you foolish brat!"  
**

* * *

**Today, on this 9/6/2012, I, Soulblazer87, do hereby leave this site, possibly forever.**

**I shall not update this, or any other story.**

**I shall leave them on, however. Should you desire to follow my stories, do so in my new site of residence: www dot yourfanfiction dot com.**


	18. Chapter 18

_Chapter 18: Overcoming Hate Part One_

The same time Naruto charged out of the arena, a number of Suna and Oto shinobi charged into the stadium, ready to kill everyone and anyone asleep, dealing as much damage as possible to Konoha. As they dashed forward, the petite, lithe figure of Tenten appeared in front of them. She smiled at them, in a way so sultry that most were tempted to either take her there and then or become her willing slaves. The hesitation was more than enough for the weapon mistress as her hands quickly withdrew one of her scrolls and death came forth in the form of hundreds of sharp and pointy implements of death.

In another side, Kiba formed his claws and charged, making short work of stray enemies, while Haku took care of the main group with a well aimed Suiryudan no Jutsu. Someone Shunshin'ed behind Haku and by the time she realized it, it was too late for her. Just then a whirling sound echo'ed and the enemy fell down bisected at his waist. The sound came from a rather weird weapon. It looked like a short staff with two Kama blades on either end. The weapon twirled in the air before suddenly changing direction and flying back to Shino's hand. When Haku blew him a kiss as a thank-you, Shino was very glad he had once again raised the hem of his coat and was wearing his glasses. The blush that overcame him was rather intense.

Hanabi squealed in fear as a Suna nin came at her, kunai raised. Just then a killer intent overcame the place, freezing the would-be murderer. When Hanabi and the ninja turned to look at the origin, they saw Hinata with her bladed tonfa out. What followed would forever be burned on little Hanabi's memory, as Hinata descended like an angry lioness on the poor idiot that dared even _think_ of hurting her little sister. The blood would later cause Hanabi to develop a mild case of haemophobia, as Hinata executed the Hakke: Rokujouyonshou with her tonfa tearing her enemy to nothing but shreds. The shinobi that followed the first unlucky fool thought better of their actions and retreated to try their luck elsewhere.

Naruto was intercepted by Jiraiya. The news were grave. Sandaime was imprisoned by the hebi-teme. Naruto growled at Jiraiya.

"Jiraiya, you take Lee, Kiba and Tenten. They are under your explicit command. I suggest protecting Hinata's little sister as well. Me and the others will take care of the snake bastard. Now get going perv, or you'll get a repeat performance of our first night together!"

Jiraiya nodded once before taking a headset from Naruto and leaving to protect everyone. Through said haidset, he took command on the three members Naruto entrusted him with.

'Sensei... gaki... don't die on me.' The toad sage shook the last thoughts of doubt from his head. They were the same, his sensei and the gaki. They wouldn't fail. They couldn't fail. It was impossible for them to do so.

Anko made a 'weee!' sound as she ripped shinobi after shinobi apart with her knives. Bending like a snake, striking faster than a cobra, enemies fell left and right. And the idiots that managed to hit her? She killed them first as the wound they gave her healed, while adding what she called 'sexyness' to her suit. Namely more skin to show off. On the other side, Zabuza was one huge tornado of death with his massive cleaver. Who the heck needed Kirigakure no Jutsu, when they sparred constantly with a certain blonde blob of energy? Compared to Naruto, these guys were moving like snails.

In the middle of the stadium, Kakashi and Gai stood back to back, dozens of enemies around them. Knowing how bad things were, Kakashi made to lift his headband. Before he did though...

**"Rai Ookami, Inazuma Gari! (Lightning Wolf, Flash Hunt!)"**

A cry echo'ed and a yellow flash concealed the figure that dashed like lightning, gushes of blood and gore springing from where the figure went. When the flash stopped, Kakashi had only one word on his lips..

"S-sensei?"

Of course it was proven wrong as he took notice of the crouching figure. It was Kiba! Before he had time to recuperate, a shout echo'ed again.

"YOUTH!"

This time, a figure crashed _on_ the enemy shinobi, bodies flying like ragdolls. Through the dust cloud, Kakashi and Gai saw a figure wielding some sort of spear-like weapon fell enemy upon enemy. When the figure leapt back from the fight, both jounin were surprised to see Lee. The following conversation surprised them even more though.

"You getting slow Ookami?" Lee taunted.

"Feh, as if. What about you Ryushin? Your youth finally ran out? After I was kind enough to leave all these jerks for you." Kiba retorted.

"Well then, this means war doesn't it?"

The jounin were trieing to comprehend what the heck was going on, when Kiba kept up, ignoring the charging Shinobi. "I guess it does. So most kills get a favour?"

Lee was about to answer when a female voice spoke and death rained on the incoming shinobi, killing many and forcing the others back. Tenten leapt down between the two boys.

"What the hell are you doing, starting a fight without me? I wanna play too!" Tenten actually _pouted_ drawing laughs from the other two.

"Well then Maken, you're in as well. Now how 'bout we get down to business?" Kiba answered, drawing a positive nod from both his team-mates.

Before the two jounin had time to disagree, the three gennin charged and tore through the enemy lines. Lee swung his Quan Dao, named Green Dragon, killing enemy after enemy, an unstoppable blade that tore through jutsu and armor and flesh and bone alike, an awe inspiring sight. On the other side, Kiba wasn't behind, his claws glowing with lightning as he tore into the enemies, never standing still, a blur to most, leaving chaos and blood where he came. It was Naruto's contribution to Kiba's fighting style, never let an enemy recover, dash from target to target, never hitting more than twice to keep them guessing, zig-zag randomly so they won't be able to focus on you. Tenten on the other hand took out a few kunai and after somehand seals, it wasn't a few kunai, but a high-speed wall of sharpened iron that was moving towards the enemy. It took more time for Gai and Kakashi to recover, than it took the three students to wipe out more than a couple dozen Oto-shinobi. Before they had time to comment though, Tenten spoke again.

"Eeeh... its boring. They are weak as heck. I wanna go play elsewhere. You with me?" The other two nodded and blurred out of sight, ready to cause more mayhem in defence of their prescious people.

Gai and Kakashi looked at each other stupefied. Kakashi turned to Gai. "Is it my idea, or did these gennin just outdo us? Please tell me _that_was a genjutsu, my pride won't take a hit like that."

Gai looked solemnly at Kakashi. "I'm afraid Kakashi it was all real. Our youthfull students... left us in the dust..."

Kakashi's pride shattered in an almost audible sound...

A few roofs further, Kurenai was attacked by a pair of Suna jounin in close combat. As Asume made to help her, he was suddenly stunned by what happened. After Kurenai muttered some words, she charged the two with a kunai. Asuma feared the worst, knowing that close combat wasn't Kurenai's forte, before seeing the weirdest thing. The two enemies tried to dodge... onto Kurenai's blades. Somehow, she had managed to confuse them, making them move in her kunai's path. Kurenai turned to Asuma with a small huff. "Coming Asuma-kun or did your lungs finally collapse?" Asuma muttered something about teasing females but followed her nonetheless.

Kiba was moving fast, his trusty companion, Akamaru on his head, both hunting for suitable prey. Ahead of him, on a roof, two figures he'd recognize anywhere. His mother and sister, their companions wounded but still alive. Both females were with their backs on a wall, growling at their enemy. Kiba's alpha instincts came to the surface. Nobody hurts his packmates! Akamaru understood and launched forward, his fur glowing faintly with chakra. Kiba mouthed a few words as Akamaru performed the technique.

**"Statikku Maakingu. (Static Marking.)"**

Instantly numerous needle-like hair was launched from Akamaru into the enemy. The important part? The needles were charged with static electricity, something that Kiba could easily detect. This way he could easily navigate no matter what speed he went. If they hit the enemy, he attacked directly, even if they didn't, the resulting static field allowed Kiba to detect the enemy easily, since anyone would appear as distortions. The enemy was now in Kiba's playground. Chakra flared and raced for Kiba's greaves as Kiba took out his chained Kama.

The two Inuzuka women were rather surprised when they saw Akamaru land in front of them, not seconds after some sharp needle-like hair covered the area. Before they had time to react though...

**"Inazuma Gari! (Flash Hunt!)"**

Kiba's technique propelled him forward, moving in speeds a jounin would be hard-pressed to match. Couple that with a pair of lightning-charged kama and the element of surprise... and suddenly the enemies started dropping dead as a yellow flash blinded and then hacked them. This was Zabuza's lesson, strike from the shadows and make every blow the last, if you can't kill with one attack, then don't attack at all. Temple, arteries, spine, all great targets to hit on a bunch of hormone-driven fools. Within seconds the enemy was dead. All but one, the apparent leader.

"What the fuck you fucking brat! These were my fucking subordinates! I'm gonna fucking kill you and then fuck these bitches!"

Kiba growled as he turned to the bastard. He was contemplating on which way he'd fuck up the asshole when a smirk came unbound to his lips. His earpiece had just buzzed and let him know that Jiraiya had given them the 'ok' to go all out. He grabbed his kama from the chain and started twirling both at his side, while channeling his chakra-turned-electricity into them. In seconds there were two glowing wheels on Kiba's either side.

"Ya know teme, I usually don't care if some jackass tries to hit on my sis or mother. Usually, they just take care of that jerk on their own. However... to think a piece of shit like you would do anything to my sis or mother... Dude... you're not doing the fucking, _I_ am! And I'm gonna FUCK YOU UP! **RAITON: RAIROU HANTINGU PAKKU! (Lightning Style! Thunder Wolf Hanting Pack)"**

Kiba's arms twiched sending the charged kama forward. However what emerged from the chained kama was more important, as two yellow, glowing wolves made of lightning charged at the apparent jounin with break-neck speed. The poor nin had barely the time to scream in pain before he died. His skin was covered by third degree burns, so heavy, some of the skin had melted off showing blackened bone. Kiba smirked. "Heh, abayo bitch."

Raising his hand to his earpiece, he sent back confirmation to Jiraiya. Turning to his family he let a feral smirk take over, as his adrenaline kept rising. "Ja ne, I got more prey to hunt. Let's go Akamaru!" Kiba howled before leaving his stupefied mother and sister staring.

A few blocks later, some enemies had stopped moving to discuss something about not enough people being there. Idiots didn't even sense him. Kiba crawled over them, his gauntlets letting him grab onto surfaces without using chakra. Using his chain, he started 'disappearing' people when others wouldn't look. Soon the 10-man squad was reduced to a group of three trembling fools. They formed a circle with their bodies. Fools. Kiba dropped silently in their midst. Haku's lesson was fresh in his mind, never let an enemy know you're there, no chakra, no sound, no breath. Be more silent than a butterfly yet faster than a striking snake. A second later, two of the three enemies died with Kiba's claws protruding from their chests while the other one didn't have time to scream as Akamaru leapt on his throat, tearing his windpipe apart.

Kiba hated killing, but these scumbags attacked his home and his family. No retreat, no surrender, no quarter. Just quick death. That was the kindest thing he had in store for them.

Kiba looked towards the gates, three humongous shapes reared their heads and the wall was under attack. Cursing, Kiba ran for the gates. If the explosions were anything to go by, there was more resistance there than anywhere else.

In another part of Konoha, a blur streaked the street, a polearm on his hand, dealing death left and right. The green-tinted blade shined in the sun, before coming down and decapitating an enemy, continuing its course with a minute tug, Lee changed the course from collision to the ground, to a low slash that took the legs of a different shinobi. Yet another tug caused the weapon to angle up, severing another enemy, a diagonal slash from hip to shoulder. The weapon changed its course again,this time taking the head of the shinobi who's legs were missing. Lee pivoted, bringing the massive weapon to bear, cutting the shinobi that was ready to strike him from behind.

Behind Lee, some civilians looked on with fear. It was the hospital area damnit! Fighting wasn't allowed here! Yet this... this... boy just came and downright _executed_the attacking shinobi.

Lee's weapon now rested on his shoulder, the grim work finished. Lee just nodded to the civilian and hospital staff, seeing some ANBU coming to secure the place. The poor ANBU were gaping at the death that was caused by a single _gennin_. They didn't have time to think about it, as more attackers came. As they turned to face them, Lee outran them and charged, Quan Dao first, into the group. Slowly the masked Shinobi backed away. Lee fought like a demon possessed, his blade striking any and all within range, giving no quarter nor peace. Soon, more of the attacking force lay dismembered. Lee gave the ANBU a salute in the sign language before leaping off. The civilians were between relief and fear. Sure the weird kid was away, but that kid had just protected them. They all hoped he'd be alright.

Rushing forward, occasionaly cutting down any enemy he came across, Lee arrived at a familiar restaurant, or more like a ramen stand. From there he saw Ichiraku Ayame and Teuchi, both armed with what seemed kitchen knives and a frying pan defending something from a group of, what seemed malformed Oto Shinobi, bestial features dominant on their face and body. Behind the pair, Lee heard a whimper and realized the two were protecting children.

It wasn't a well known fact, but Lee, while he knew who his parents were, he grew up an orphan. As a result, few things pissed him off more than seeing children get hurt. One of them was seeing a friend, or a friend's friend get hurt. Which was happening right now, as one of the assailants threw a kunai on Ayame, injuring her lightly, but still making her drop her weapon. Lee's blood boiled as he sped ahead, putting his body as a shield to the incoming jutsu.

**"Zankuuha! (Decapitating Air Waves!)"**

**"Ryu no Hada! (Dragon's Skin!)"**

The jutsu collided with Lee, but apart from making a few cuts on his Haori and tearing away Lee's bandages, revealing his muscles, it did nothing. The boy's head was ducked, as raw, cold fury coursed through him. Just then Jiraiya's call to go all-out came to his ear. They...were...screwed... Lee's head snapped up and the look on his face turned the assailant's blood cold. Lee had just started using something other than physical energy.

Physical energy was used to enhance the user's strength and physical abilities. What about Spiritual energy someone might ask themselves? Simple, spiritual energy was used by Lee for two purposes. Either to block genjutsu, something he became _very_ good at. Or... to cause an effect like KI overdose. Instead of Killer Intent though, it was raw power that radiated from Lee's body, a feeling of majesty, of simply being superior than the enemy. A feeling so intense, the beastified attackers felt like retreating. Hyuga with their Byakugan activated, would later report they saw a dragon roar and coil itself around a person's body.

While the enemy was terrified by Lee, he gripped his Quan Dao firmly and proceeded to, for lack of better term, execute them like pigs in a slaughterhouse. Lee turned and his aura turned from menacing to warm and calm, as if nothing would ever hurt them. He gave them a reassuring smile, as an ANBU group landed. Without turning to them, he ordered them to take the people somewhere safe. A new ANBU recruit tried to question him, when Lee turned and they saw his face. The recruit wisely shut up and obeyed the command.

Lee exited the ramen stand and looked at the gate. Three shapes were concealed by a cloud of dust and smoke. Lee felt the urge to curse. Quickly he sped up, Quan dao secured on his waist holster.

Near the Academy, Tenten leapt in the air, twisting majestically, raining death on unsuspecting shinobi. As she was heading to land, her hand suddenly lashed out and some ninja wire lashed out, grabbed on a nearby pole. Using that pole, Tenten changed direction as she landed, a blade quickly digging itself on an Oto chuunin. The pole was cut by the wire, falling on another unlucky fool. As Tenten landed, she used the momentum to spin, again launching a pair of Kunai at an incoming nin, this time embeding each into the fool's eyes. Ignoring the looks of shock she drew from some allied Chuunin, she made her way to the Academy, a place where some fighting would definitely take place.

Once there, she saw Iruka fight off some enemies and remembered what Naruto and Haku always supported. When you have someone prescious to you, you can become truly powerful. It seemed Iruka had found many such people, because he showed immense skill, in not only defending the childred, but also taking down reckless enemies that wouldn't hesitate to kill the children with a missed jutsu. It was obvious however that Iruka was tiring fast.

Tenten sped to relieve her former sensei. Drawing one of her faithful scrolls, she took out a pair of collapsible Fuuma Shuriken she had... _borrowed_ from the Uchiha clan. No really, she borrowed them. Just without telling anyone... Quickly tieing them up with some shinobi wire, she let them fly. Her fingers twitched and moved, guiding the two oversized weapons of death to cut a swathe of dead bodies. In mere seconds, Tenten's attack from behid had felled five enemies. Quickly she let go of the Shuriken of Flying Doom, to withdraw a katana. Sure it wasn't Muramasa, who always sent shivers of pleasure down her spine when fighting, but this katana would be more than enough to take down these idiots. The not-so-much of a distraction had also given Iruka time to use one of his own techniques, namely Kage Kunai no Jutsu, to hit some of the stunned enemies. While three died of the jutsu, the rest were alive but wounded. Easy prey for Tenten.

Konohamaru and his class were awed at the skill Tenten displayed, a dance of silver to their eyes. Moegi felt like she had just found her idol in kunoichi life. Konohamaru was more drawn to Tenten's legs though, along with most boys and even their sensei Iruka. The chuunin gulped a bit, averting his eyes. Wouldn't pay to piss off this kunoichi, she looked like a student of Anko's if that were possible. Iruka didn't know for a long time how right this assumption was.

Anko was indeed one of Tenten's teachers. She taught her how to not only be happy about being a girl, but also how to show her feminine side, without being slutty or weak. Anko had also shown Tenten how to use finesse and grace over raw strength and brawn to defeat enemies much bigger than herself. The exercises for Anko's taijutsu style also helped develop the three kunoichi that were under her care.

With the way clear, Iruka took the children to a hiding place, knowing full well he couldn't defend them like that again. Tenten had shared few words with the chuunin, but the meaning was clear; Konoha was under attack so they had to move _fast_. With her job over, Tenten quickly left to take down more enemies. After all she had a fight going on with Kiba and Lee right? She shouldered the pride of kunoichi everywhere!

As she leapt from building to building, Tenten started noticing more and more of these bestial shinobi. They all had the symbol of Oto somewhere on their bodies, so it was pretty clear who they served. They were faster, tougher and stronger than most shinobi. Pity they weren't nearly as smart or perceptive. Maybe then they'd have survived her skirmishes. Ahead of her, a squad of ANBU was cornered. Why? Because not only some of these beast-like thugs were able to somehow absorb chakra by touch, but also because they had a very powerful shinobi to protect them. An Iwa missing ninja, who while Tenten didn't know who he was, the fact he had covered his entire body with stone and still managed to move, meant he was good. On top of that he seemed real good with protective jutsu. She was thinking on how to best take them out when Jiraiya's green light to unleashing her whole power buzzed into her ear. Could Jiraiya mean she could unleash Muramasa from his sheath? Could he mean she could finally fight properly? Well Jiraiya had said 'go all out', so Tenten assumed that, yes it meant she could draw her black sword. Landing in front of the ANBU group, she giggled merrily. Her hand moved the scroll case on her right thigh, revealing the tattoo underneath. A pulse of chakra later, and Muramasa's sheathed form was in her hand. The demonic blade was happy, Tenten knew. Happy that it could finally cut to kill. With slow deliberate motions, Tenten drew the magnificent form of Muramasa from its sheath. Not a second later, a black and red aura covered the blade as Tenten muttered something audible only to the ANBU.

**"Onigiri."**

Immidiately, Tenten dashed forward, a stone wall rising to greet her. Her blade flashed and the wall was no more. An enemy in front, two to the right and one leaping above her. Muramasa's blade flashed once horizontally, Tenten making a small spin to take out the two on her side, before rising up in an impaling motion. The one in front and the two to her right fell bisected, still struggling to survive. The one on top was impaled through the heart by Muramasa. Blood fell on Tenten's face. Her smirk _changed_. It became more evil, more bloodthirsty. She licked the blood as if tasting fine old wine. Tenten's eyes fell on the rest of the enemies and they gulped.

With a sound that was between a laugh and a demonic warcry, Tenten charged, blade first into the battle. They tried to block and the blade passed through, they tried to dodge and she was too fast, they tried to run and she cut them down. The ANBU group blinked as they saw Tenten's glowing blade turn an ambush into a massacre... an enemy's massacre. Soon the only one alive was the apparent leader of the group, the Iwa nuke-nin that had defended them. Tenten's Onigiri bounced off of him, as he used an immense amount of chakra to make his defence stand against it. Tenten smirked.

"Good. You can handle Muramasa's weakest attack. Let's see how you deal with this."

Tenten's youkai flared, creating a double helix of power around her. The blue helix wrapped itself into Tenten, while the red and black one gathered itself around her before taking the shape of a roaring flame. The flame then surged into the black sword. Tenten flourished her sword in front of her before placing it horizontally to the side of her face. As the dragon on the blade began to glow red, almost blinding the ANBU, Tenten thrust her blade forward.

**"Onikaton: Maryu Endan! (Demonic Fire Style: Devil Dragon Fire Blast!)"**

A dragon shaped blast of blood red fire with a black core blasted forth. The fire lasted for only a second, but it melted everything in a 15ft range. The man never had a chance. He was quickly nothing more than a charred skeleton with a pool of molten rock at his feet.

Tenten wiped the sweat from her brow. Damn, using youkai was tiring as hell. Even after a month, she could barely use this technique twice without fainting. She turned to the ANBU and gave them a peace sign. More than a few of them thought Tenten was bipolar. Not that Tenten would care what they thought. If they too had a demonic sword in their hands that sent them feelings of pleasure when cutting stuff, they too would be weird to say the least.

Tenten turned and looked at the gates, her too noticing the three menacing figures in the gates. Turning to the ANBU squad she spoke.

"I hope you boys aren't too worn out yet. We got a big one there and I call dibs on them. I'll need your support though, cause there's bound to be more over there. Just don't take my kills and we'll be fine." Tenten's smile was as sweet and innocent as one would expect out of a fourteen year old civilian girl. The black sword in her hand though painted a different image to the poor ANBU.

Without waiting for an answer she rushed forward to what could be the greatest battle she had faced till then.

The three gennin, namely Kiba, Lee and Tenten rushed to the point of attack, all meeting on the same roof. In front of them raged three giant snakes, obviously summons. Who could summon them? Of course everyone's most hated snake using bastard; Orochimaru. Suna and Oto shinobi rushed from the gap in the walls. The three friends glanced at each other and rushed forward. An unspoken agreement between them; the one who killed their snake first wins.

Kiba headed to the left one, his mother and sister trying to hide in his tail. Akamaru barked and Kiba nodded, popping a soldier pill and giving Akamaru the other one. Preparations in place, Kiba readied himself, taking out his chained Kama and wrapped it around him tightly. Kiba flew into some handseals before securing his Kama on his hands. It was one of the things he had learned during the month. While he and Akamaru couldn'tr transfer chakra between each other, Akamaru could help with manipulating it, making it easier for Kiba to control it. Kiba's chakra surged through the chain, lighting it up with a blue sparking glow. Kiba's own control over Raiton chakra, boosted by the presence of Akamaru, kept the electricity from hitting the pair.

**"Rairou Yoroi. (Thunder Wolf Armor.)"**

Kiba sent chakra to his legs and leapt onto the snake.

Said monstrocity took the bait and tried to eat Kiba alive. Kiba smirked as his mother and sister screamed. The snake had eaten Kiba. Tsume and Hana freaked out. Kiba... Kiba couldn't have died. Sure they made fun of him, but he still was family and he couldn't have died. Not that easily. From within the snake's mouth, Kiba's voice was heard.

**"Rairou... KYOUZUU ARASHI! (Thunder Wolf Surging Storm!)"**

In responce, the snake lit up like a christmas tree. Why? Because the chains wound around Kiba were forcefull unwound. The resulting force, coupled with the abundance of chakra Kiba had due to the pill, made for an absolutely amazing spectacle. If someone could look beyond the blood and gore flying around. The explosive force whith which the chains moved shredded the snake's head killing it in seconds. Of course, gravity took over and the massive being fell, crushing many initially, more later due to the shock causing it to move even post-mortem. Kiba landed on its head and howled his victory.

Meanwhile, Lee was dodging enemies, or well dodging their collapsing bodies as he killed them without stopping. Some distance before the snake's form, he whipped the Quan Dao forward, causing it to spin mid-air as it headed for the snake. Lee's aim was true and the snake was hit below the eye, drawing its attention to Lee's charging form. Lee grinned before pumping all his remaining physical energy to his feet. The ground exploded as he disappeared from most people's sight, only to reappear in front of the snake, twisting in mid-air to deliver a kick.

**"Ryu Shippou! (Dragon Tail!)"**

BOOM! CRACK! SMASH!

A booming sound deafend those around the snake, Lee's unbelieavably strong kick breaking the sound barrier. The force of the kick was so great that it actually broke the summoned snake's neck (due to a snake's natural flexibility, that should give you a pretty decent idea of how hard that is). Of course with the snake's neck broken, the beast collapsed, falling on those unlucky enough to be under it. Lee landed next to his Quan Dao, picked it up, twirled it around him and took a ready stance.

At the same time, Tenten was having trouble. Her previous technique had taken a lot out of her. Couple that with the worthless scum in front of her, keeping her from her goal and she was getting seriously pissed off. In her mind Muramasa's representation nodded, he had to help his wielder. He'd return to her what he took away. With a nod of his hand, Tenten's world froze, nothing moved. In front of her eyes, Muramasa appeared, his voice echoing.

"Well done my wielder. Even tired you do not give up, even handicapped you possess the pride. While you depend on my power, you do not let it go to your mind. Good. When I first bonded with you, I took a large amount of your youkai and stored it. I knew it would one day come useful if you managed to control me. Now take it back and decimate these fools that stand before us." Tenten had barely the time to nod before time continued.

Tenten's blade glowed and from the bottom, a pair of two long ribbons emerged, one pure black, the other blood red. Knowing they were representations of how much youkai she could draw, Tenten took a small amount and rushed forward, the speed impossibly to most chakra users. Reaching her snake goal, she jumped high in the air, using the snake as a springboard to jump even higher.

After leaping higher than the snake's head, she reversed her motions and pointed her blade at the snake's head. Her youkai flared, reentering the blade. Tenten gave a downright evil smile.

**"Onikaton: Maryu Endan! (Demon Fire Style: Devil Dragon Fire Blast!)"**

Tenten blasted the snake's head with her demonic jutsu, leaving nothing but a charred skeleton in place of its head, before it collapsed and shattered on the ground, sending lethal shards of insanely hot bone piercing through anything in the 's blade flashed as she landed on the great snake's skeleton.

A horde of shinobi and malformed scientific experiments readied to charge the three exposed Gennin. They didn't get the time as three absolutely humongous toads landed in front of them. On a nearby collapsed house, Jiraiya stood, his face cold and grim. Nobody fucks with Konoha on his watch, least of all that snake bastard Orochimaru. On his signal an counterstrike composed of every chuunin, jounnin and ANBU rushed from the shadows. The tides of battle had shifted. Time for the push to turn into a shove. Already the smart ones turned tail and ran. Jiraiya was soon joined by Lee, Tenten and Kiba. The group turned their attention to the Kage level battle that was taking place in the arena. Their hearts filled with unrest they all thought the same thing.

'Don't die on us.'

Orochimaru stood facing what could very well be his doom. His old sensei supported by the damn Namikaze brat... Naruto raised his hands, palms open towards Orochimaru, two clones with their hands hovering over Naruto's own. Naruto's chakra began to build and Hiruzen charged Orochimaru with speeds the Snake Sennin could barely believe. The Diamon Staff that was the monkey king Enma came and Orochimaru didn't have time to believe, only act.

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**A/N: Two chappies in a day 'cause I'm awesome like that! I expect reviews from all of you, telling me what you like or don't like.**

**I hope you liked this chappie and forgive the cliffie of doomness. I'll make sure to write a suitably epic fight with Orochimaru and the others to repay your patience.**

**Anyway jutsu time.**

**OniKaton: Maryu Endan (Demon Fire Style: Devil Dragon Fire Blast): By recomposing her chakra to fire, Tenten gets a demonic version of it as she pushes it through Muramasa. Since fire is an offencive element, it gets a significant boost at destructive power, with the downside that it costs much more to use. It is the equivalent of an S-rank technique because, even though it lasts for only one second, it is still strong enough to make glass out of sand at 20 feet. The residual Youkai will also kill any who can withstand the flames themselves. Tenten is only able to use it four times maximum, even with Muramasa acting as a battery for her.**

**Rairou Yoroi (Thunder Wolf Armor): One of Kiba's few defencive technique, he uses it by wrapping himself with the chain from his kama and charging them with lightning. Currently, he needs Akamaru to help control the charge so he doesn't get hit. The lightning charged chain will move on its own to defend Kiba, as long as what attacks him is ferrous or reactive to electricity. It is most effective for precision attacks, like most taijutsu. A Katon Gokakyou for example would be much more effective than a Housenka. Cost: B, Control: B, Rank: B**

**Rairou Kyouzuu Arashi (Thunder Wolf Surging Storm): Kiba rapidly unwinds his chain from using Rairou Yoroi, the chain lashing out to anything in range. The closer an opponent is, the more times they get hit. Cost: B, Control: B, Rank: B**

**Statikku Maakingu (Static Marking): By channeling raiton chakra, Akamaru is able to harden his own hair and charge them with static. Then he can launch them at an enemy or area. If they hit an enemy, Kiba can sense the static electricity and chase them down directly. If it marks an area, the enemy becomes visible to Kiba in the form of a distortion to the field. Kiba uses Makibishi(mouth darts) instead of hair in order to use this technique. Cost: D, Control: D, Rank: D**

**Raiton: Rairou Hantingu Pakku (Lightnint Style: Thunder Wolf Hunting Pack): Kiba charges the chain of his kama with lightning and whirls them at his sides, making a pair of discs made out of chain and lightning. By whipping his arms forward, the kama, that act as weights, are launched forward. In responce to that, a pair of wolves made out of electricity launch themselves from the kama. It easily causes third degree burns and can even burn the flesh away. Cost: B, Control: C, Rank: B**

**Ryu no Hada (Dragon's Skin): Lee's sole defencive technique to that point. Lee pumps his body full of physical energy, making his skin as tough as steel, enabling him to shrug off virtually any blow. However it is very tiring, so Lee rarely uses it.**

**Ryu no Me (Dragon's Eyes): A spiritual energy powered technique, Lee blasts his enemy with his spiritual energy, invoking an aura of majesty and superiority. While not outright hostile, or filled with the intent to kill, it is a powerful enough aura to make jounin cower. Byaugan and other abilities that reveal chakra will often show a dragon coiled around Lee. Often predates Lee's Ryu Moui (Dragon Fury) state.**

**Ryu Shippou (Dragon Tail): Lee's favourite Ryuken attack, a spinning kick that breaks the sound barrier. Even if the kick doesn't reach the enemy, the shockwave caused by it will. The kick is strong enough to kill a giant snake in a single blow at the head by breaking its neck.  
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**Today, on this 9/6/2012, I, Soulblazer87, do hereby leave this site, possibly forever.**

**I shall not update this, or any other story.**

**I shall leave them on, however. Should you desire to follow my stories, do so in my new site of residence: www dot yourfanfiction dot com.**


	19. Chapter 19

_Chapter 19: Overcoming Hate Part Two_

Naruto charged out of the arena after talking to Jiraiya and giving him command of the three 'rookies', Lee, Kiba and Tenten. Heading for Hinata's location, he landed next to her, shielding Hinata's little sister.

"Hina-chan! Is your sister alright? Oi ero-sennin! Get over here and get Hanabi to safety!"

Hanabi almost bristled at being treated like a child. However, remembering just how much Naruto had humiliated Neji, as well as Naruto's feral appearence, she reconsidered. Jiraiya landed next to the gennin pair, looked at Hanabi and nodded, the meaning was clear. Grabbing little Hanabi, Jiraiya leapt off before handing her over to an ANBU squad that was there just for this reason, namely civilian evacuation. After all, it wouldn't pay to have a foreign dignitary hurt because he wasn't escorted to safety. Hinata and Naruto turned to the shadows.

"Come out. _Otou-sama_. And you better have a good explanation of why you let my imouto here, rather than take her to safety with you." It wasn't so much what Hinata said, as _how_ she said it, the tone in her voice was clear, 'I better like your answer or you can kiss your eyes good-bye'.

Hiashi emerged, an unhappy look on his face.

"Hinata, while I was never kind or caring to you or your sister, I am not a monster. With you showing a great increase in skill, I reconsidered your position as heir to the clan and I know, so would all elders. Therefore, we come at an impasse. Should you prove to be stronger than my youngest, you will become heir to the clan, should you not, then you will be sent to the cadet branch. I have long hoped, and done my best, to avert this situation. However with you showing great skill, I must now seal one of my daughters. Worse, I am bound by the family's laws to choose the strongest heir. I left Hanabi here, in order to see if she was worthy of being heiress to the clan. She is obviously not, seeing as she showed fear before an enemy. I was here to protect her should things have gone differently though, Hanabi was never in any danger from Konoha's enemies."

Naruto growled at the cruelty of the Hyuga clan, still not used to it, even after the time Hinata had taken to explain it all to him. Hinata on the other hand... wasn't as calm.

"So you'd condemn one of your own daughters to slavery, choosing the strongest physically as heir, instead of the best for the clan. And then you wonder why I hate your guts. Get out of my face _father_ and get to the fight. If I ever, and I mean _ever_, find you, or any other mother-fucking piece of worthless shit putting my little sister in danger, I'm gonna _kill the lot of you_! Got it? Now get the fuck out of my sight you worthless excuse of human shit."

Hinata's 'Raijin's Touch' sparked to life from the excess chakra running through her, completely ready to fulfill her threat. Hiashi, knowing very well not to mess with someone, chose to cut his losses and go fight. After all, he wouldn't trust the safety of a potential heir to the hands of any ANBU. They were not Hyuga, simple as that.

Meanwhile, Naruto and Hinata attacked a group of enemy shinobi that were rushing through the gates. Falling back to their lessons when they started out as a team, Hinata and Naruto fought together, almost in a lover's embrace as they slowed and stopped the surge of shinobi into the arena. Naruto used Hinata as a counterweight as much as another limb of his, both being so familiar with each other's fighting styles that they could predict their partner's motions and attacks. With Naruto acting as the shield, taking on all blows without even slowing down and Hinata acting as the sword, her lethal tonfa disabling and killing attackers left and right, it was impossible for anyone to safely approach them in a distance less than ten feet (about 3.6 meters).

Naruto rotated, Hinata using his momentum to launch herself at an enemy, her tonfa striking well before the enemy's kunai could, only to be followed by Naruto, who used the gap in the attacking force to land in the midst of his enemies. Claws flashed and blood flew as Naruto spun once again, completing his spin by kneeling, so that Hinata could use him as a springboard and leap over him, taking others by surprise. After getting up, Naruto went into Hinata's waiting embrace, his claws becoming blades that stabbed the fools behind her, even as her tonfa disabled those behind Naruto. The pair hugged each other, before spinning quickly, their weapons ripping through armor and flesh alike.

A cat faced ANBU and her team watched as the two gennin cooperated like a well-oiled machine, sending shivers down their spines. How the two kids managed to make this lethal fighting style look so much as an intimate dance, noone knew. The dance was cut short though, as Zabuza and Anko landed before the two gennin, who quickly took advantage of the enemy's surprise to break off and fight separately. Hinata's tonfa were bladed blurs, hitting an enemy and attacking not only flesh and bone, but internal organs and chakra system as well. Naruto dashed through the enemy in an irregular zig-zag pattern, making it impossible to predict where, how and who he would attack next, a fault that would become the Oto-shinobi's last, as Naruto's claws could easily shred their armor and hit their most vulnerable locations. Throw in Zabuza's impressive fighting style, Anko's superior speed and flashing blades and the enemy never stood a chance. Behind the first group appeared another group, this time composed of not only more members, but also what seemed like the worst nightmare of an insane scientist. It seemed Orochimaru had opened the cages of his experiments.

Hinata and Zabuza leapt back, both taking a weird stance. Hinata stuck her tonfa to the ground and placed her feet on them, while Zabuza stabbed it in front of him. As the enemy rushed towards them, the pair went through a series of identical hand seals before pushing the moulded chakra into their weapons.

**"Suiton: Santouryudan no Jutsu! (Water Style: Triple Headed Dragon Blast Technique!)"** Came the shout from both.

The chakra raced from Zabuza's hands and Hinata's feet, into zanbatou and tonfa, before the ground around the two shinobi exploded with water. To the ANBU's surprise, it wasn't a simple Suiton jutsu, but what seemed like an A-rank jutsu, as three absolutely huge dragons made out of water erupted from the water underneath the two shinobi, before launching themselves at the enemy. Naruto and Anko, who were at the time holding the line back, jumped away just in time to see the water dragons slam onto the attacking force. Cries of pain and sounds of broken bone came from the chaotic mingle of water, blood, bone and flesh, as the water sent the enemy shinobi through several walls. Hinata and Zabuza high-fived each other.

Meanwhile, Asuma and Kurenai were tearing through the numbers of stray shinobi, slackers or solo-ists. Having been paired up in quite a few missions, they knew each other's fighting patterns very well, or at least Kurenai did. Asuma still couldn't figure out when she learned half the stuff she used. Sure, with him next to her, she didn't reveal anything he didn't know she could do, but the _way_ she used them, the fact for example, she didn't shy away from combat, or back off every time someone came within kunai's reach, seriously confused the Sarutobi clan member. He didn't even know she was half as skilled as she was with her kunai. Her scything remarks hurt more than usual too.

"Come on Asuma-kun, you're the man of this pair so man up and do your job. Seriously do I have to do everything by myself or have your lungs given up yet?" Kurenai taunted.

'What's with her and smoking?' Wondered Asuma, before getting himself back in line and freeing her from the group of kunoichi that were trying, and failing, to kill her.

In another area of the arena, Haku and Shino were facing off against a few chuunin, trying to protect the rest of Konoha 9, namely Sakura, Shikamaru, Ino and Chouji. Or well, Sakura and Ino, as the Nara and Akimichi heirs held their own. The weren't good enough to take down the enemy, but they could delay them until reinforcements came.

"Shino-kun! A barrier please!" Haku exclaimed before jumping back. In responce Shino unleashed about half of his insects making a nigh-impenetrable wall. Those that would dare go through would quickly be devoid of chakra as well as poisoned, while weapons and jutsu would be stopped by the swarm. Behind him, Haku readied herself with a couple of Fuuton jutsu. Because Ice was her specialty, she never really worked with fuuton techniques, well until Naruto came along and helped her. She still had trouble with some of them, but she could at least manage that. Sending a nod at Shino's way, Haku counted to three before swiping her hands forward.

**"Fuuton: Dai Kaze Rin! (Wind Style: Great Wind Ring!)"**

The disc-shaped wind jutsu flew at waist-height, taking by surprise the enemy, who didn't expect two invisible blades to rush at them from behind a wall of bugs. A couple were cut down, while the rest used **Kawarimi no Jutsu (Replacement Technique, **we all know and hate/love it) to dodge. Before they had time to attack again however, Haku had already unleashed a pair of chakra strings, helping her not only maintain the wind rings for a longer time, but also to easily shift their trajectory. It didn't take much time for the enemy to realize what was going on and try to kill Haku, before she would kill them. However it wasn't meant to be, as Shino charged first. His weights removed and his chakra levels increasing from the lack of parasitic insects, he charged in high speed.

Sakura and Ino were squealing like little girls from what happened next, while Shikamaru and Chouji looked green. Shino dashed between two enemies, kama at the ready. Before they had time to react, Shino made two pivots, making a full rotation, his right kama digging itself on the back of the enemy's neck, cutting his head with the fuuton chakra running through the blade, while his left kama ripped open his partner, by having it attack the vulnerable area beneath the ribcage. Blood spurted, but it didn't stop Shino, who was at the same time unleashing the full power of his swarm. Insects crawled out of the woorwork, quite literally. The enemies never stood a chance when the Nara, Akimichi and Yamanaka clan heads showed up, to the relief of the two gennin.

As the village's jounin were mobilized, the team gathered around Naruto and Hinata, rushing for the location of the Hokage.

_Flashback - Beggining of the Invasion._

_Orochimaru laughed in evil glee as his shinobi rushed into the village, he could finally kill Sarutobi!_

_Throwing his disguise away, knowing it wouldn't do him any good, he greeted his old sensei, as his bodyguards moved to set up the barrier. In responce, Sarutobi merely raised an eyebrow. Externally calm and collected, Sarutobi was livid inside. To kill a man and skin him, using his skin as a disguise. Just how far had his once beloved student fallen._

_"So Naruto-kun was right. You were planning an invasion. Suna and Oto together, I hope they know you will betray them. Just like you betray everyone else, even your own subordinates."_

_Orochimaru chuckled. "Subordinates are nothing but tools to me. If a tool is broken, then there is no need to keep it. Would you keep a broken kunai, or throw it away in favour of a new one. It is the same."_

_Sarutobi shook his head in sadness. "That was what two missing-nin also said. Naruto-kun and this village changed them. They now live happily here and oh, there they are, decimating your forces."_

_Indeed, in the distance, Zabuza's distinctive form separated him from the crowd, his massive cleaver taking heads and arms and legs alike, an unstoppable tornado of death._

_Orochimaru was rather annoyed at that development, but didn't give it a second thought, he would be eventually be brought down. Just like everybody else._

_"It doesn't matter _sensei_, they don't matter. After all, I am so superior to that trash, that I don't even consider them worthy of mention. After all, I have tricked even death itself!"_

_Sarutobi's eyes narrowed. "What do you mean Orochimaru? What montrocity have you created?"_

_"Oh, does little Jiraiya not know? His spy network is _sooo_ capable after all. As I said, I've tricked death itself, but that's a story for another time."_

_Quickly, Orochimaru regurgitated his Kusanagi sword, the blade gleaming dangerously. In the same motion, the snake Sennin rushed at his sensei, hoping to at least wound him. Alas, it wasn't meant to be, as Sarutobi's reflexes were as sharp as ever, despite his aging body. He knew what Orochimaru would do, before Orochimaru even thought of it._

_"Well," said the old Kage, " I think it's time for a _long overdue_ spanking session, baka deshi (foolish apprentice)."_

_With these words, Hiruzen Sarutobi pushed a truly minute amount of chakra into the amulet he wore around his neck. A flash of light, a poof of smoke and a sound of tearing clothing later, Orochimaru wasn't fighting against an old man, albeit Kage. Now Orochimaru was fighting against the God of Shinobi, the Professor, the man who had mastered, not just learned, every non-clan technique in Konoha. Sarutobi made a 'cracking' motion with his neck, feeling his joints fall back in place. Doing the same with his fingers, Sarutobi's confident smirk could be felt from behind the face mask. Seeing Orochimaru's shocked face, he joked._

_"What? Did you honestly think that I wouldn't work on anything after you left? Baka deshi... always underestimating me. Although, I do really have to thank Naruto-kun for this. After all, he's the one that made this beauty for me. Now..." Sarutobi took a fighting stance, "shall we dance little brat?"_

_Deep inside Orochimaru, a side of him wanted to meep. These were the exact words Sarutobi had told him when he took his team on. The words he heard right before being beaten to a pulp, much more than even Salamander Hanzou did. Less than an instant later, Orochimaru was hard-pressed to dodge a salvo of explosive kunai his sensei had somehow managed to unseal from somewhere. The Sennin didn't even have time to ponder how preposterous it was to place a sealing space within a sealing space, as he was once again forced to dodge. This time it was molten rock soaring through the air at high speeds. Sandaime was pulling out high-ranked jutsu out of nowhere. Orochimaru landed and used a few handseals before setting loose a glowing-red snake. His own answer to the Uchiha clan's Katon jutsu._

_Instead of dodging though, Sarutobi smirked and... kicked. However, it wasn't dust that came, but an insanely fast moving burst of water. It struck the snake, forcing it to explode in dense fog. Orochimaru's stunned face at what happened didn't have time to show on his face, before another highly-pressurized stream of water hit him on the chest._

Outside the barrier, the ANBU group were gaping. This was a Kage-level fight. Their involvement would only get in the way, they were useless. A new recruit that was in the team simply gawked, so

that_ was a Kage level fight. Or well a Kage against what seemed a mere brat, by the way Sarutobi was treating his ex-apprentice._

_Inside the barrier, Orochimaru had enough, placing his Kusanagi sword in his mouth, he regurgitated a torrent of snakes, each with a Kusanagi sword in mouth. He expected his sensei to dodge, only to be attacked again, gaining an advantage in this match. However, Orochimaru never expected his sensei to merely raise his arm, as if he was expecting the snakes to stop._

What happened next, seriously freaked out the snake user. His snakes veered of course, as if an invisible wall was blocking them, forcing them to stab the ground instead of his sensei. From behind his mask, Sarutobi almost fell on the floor laughing from Orochimaru's stunned face. Naruto's defencive measures worked perfectly, the magnetic field had blocked the Kusanagi snake assault.

_Orochimaru had the creepy feeling Sarutobi had merely lifted his eyebrow, damn that mask. Hearing his sensei ask him if he had anything else as useless, seriously pissed him off. With a battlecry, Orochimaru raised his weapon and once again charged the calm Sarutobi._

_The two clashed again and again, Sarutobi's skill proving to be superior to Orochimaru's power. Hiruzen made a mental note to thank Naruto for the weapons that were stored inside his armor. Truly, he had stored enough explosives to take on a battalion... and get out relatively unharmed..._

_Orochimaru got sick and tired of getting treated like a child, his powerful Kusanagi proving to be too slow to hurt Sarutobi. So, he decided to use his ultimate jutsu, his hidden ace, his trump card... Jumping back he smirked evilly at Sarutobi and started making handseals fast, knowing Sarutobi wouldn't give him a moment's reprieve. Finishing them, he placed his hands on the floor._

_**"Kuchiyose: Edo Tensei! (Summon: Impure World Resurrection!)"**__ The snake Sennin called out, his vile chakra surging forth. "Behold sensei! The power that overcame death! MY power! Now rise! Hokage of old! Hahaha! Rise and obey me like my pet!"_

_Sarutobi watched in horror as the coffins containing the deceased Hokage that served before him rose. Thinking quickly, he drew as many incendiary paper bombs as he could, tied them to some explosive kunai and threw them quickly. Orochimaru saw the attack and had a few __**Tsuchi Bunshin (Mud Clone)**__ of his ready to intercept. The clones sacrificed themselves to prevent as much damage as possible, but still, the aged Kage managed to destroy the last coffin, the most important coffin. The coffin that contained Naruto's father, the Yondaime Hokage. Looking outside to his village, for what could be the last time, Sandaime noticed something. Naruto and his team were watching the fight intently, the desire to fight obvious in their eyes and set jaws. Hiruzen smiled sadly, he may never see them again. That was what he thought until he saw Naruto do a weird motion, raising his hand to his left bicep. Why would he do it, wondered the aged Kage. That was until he remembered exactly what was under the cloth..._

_Sarutobi smirked. "So, you think that just bringing out my own mentors will change everything? How naive. I thought I taught you better."_

_Orochimaru chuckled. "You did. But even you can't defeat us now. Three on one has always been rather... decicive don't you think? After all me and my _teammates_ did?"_

_"So true, so true. However... you seem to not have taken something into consideration. Namely the fact that I'm not fighitng alone. The will of fire still burns strong baka deshi!"_

_Sandaime raised his hand to his left bicep, summoned his chakra and pumped it through._

_The lite-blue essense that was Sandaime's chakra raiced to his fingertips and beyond, through the armor, encountering lines of power. Falling into them like water through a canal, the lines glowed a soft blue, the chakra taking form and shape from the pattern. Sandaime's form was concealed by a cloud._

_End Flashback_

Naruto smiled a megawatt smile, seeing as his adopted grandfather got the message. Hinata, Haku, Zabuza, Anko, Shino and Kurenai, all looked grim, the fight ahead wouldn't be easy. The chakra surged into them from the seal on each member's left bicep. Their forms were clouded and their vision blurred. An instant later, the smoke was blown away and a different scene greeted the group. Behind the group, the wizened voice of Sarutobi spoke.

"See Orochimaru? I don't have to sacrifice anything. They came of their own accord. Why? Because they do not fear, they respect. Something you could never do. Neither I, nor them will fall today."

Meanwhile Naruto was busy thinking, quickly he turned to his team. "Zabuza, Haku, Hinata, you take on Nidaime-sama, his specialty is water jutsu so you have better chances. Kurenai, Anko and Shino, you've got Shodaime, watch out for his Mokuton. Jiji and I have a snake to skin." The group collectively nodded before bursting into action.

At the same time, the two previous Hokage burst forth, Orochimaru's jutsu forcing them to obey. Naruto looked at Orochimaru in pity.

"I pity you Orochimaru, so entrenched in your obsession, you forgot the meaning of true strength. You are your own self's doom. Do you know, Orochimaru, that your summons will not win? Do you know why? Because attacks with any form of hesitation will not work on us. Orochimaru... for the pain you will cause should we let you live, we're going to kill you!"

There were no more words exchanged as Naruto charged Orochimaru, claws extended at the sides. With his restraints removed, Naruto was a blur. Behind him, Sarutobi had taken the time to summon Enma the Monkey King. Enma took a look at the fight and realized what was going on. It was time for the master to fix his mistakes. Without wasting any more time, Enma shifted himself to the Diamond Staff form.

Haku, Hinata and Zabuza charged at Nidaime, weapons at the ready. The resurrected Hokage began fighting by unleashing a barrage of taijutsu attacks, as if he was gauging their skills. Zabuza, being the most experienced of the three, rushed first, aiming to take the brunt of the attacks. Using the skills he sharpened by years of fighting and the times he went against Naruto's unimaginable speed and strength, Zabuza first deflected most of the blows, using his Zanbatou as a shield. Knowing the fight wouldn't be won just by defending, Zabuza used his Kubikiri Honcho as a pole to unleash a violent kick, knowing that Hinata and Haku behind him would cover him. Nidaime blocked the kick only to be attacked by Haku.

Haku's chained crescent blade whirled through the air, its motions controlled by Haku's water manipulation. It cut through the air swiftly, before wrapping itself around the Kage. Immidiately Haku sent a blast of chakra to freeze him, only for the Nidaime to collapse into a puddle of water. Appearing behind Haku, the blue-armored Kage attempted to knock her out quickly, only to be thwarted by Hinata's quick tonfa. Nidaime transferred his momentum from his hands to his feet, coming around with a kick at Hinata's undefended side. Haku was there instantly to block it, while Zabuza blurred into exitence behind Nidaime, his zanbatou moving quickly to take Nidaime's head. Again their target collapsed to a puddle of water, while the real Nidaime appeared above them, making hadseals. Before they had time to defend or move away, Nidaime's jutsu was activated.

**"Suiton: Daibakufu no Jutsu! (Water Style: Great Explosion Technique!)"**

Zabuza placed himself first to take the blow, while Hinata and Haku placed their respective weapons at his side. Channeling chakra into the storage seals, they began absorbing his jutsu as it came. Thanks to that, the technique was weakened quite a bit, but it still came at them with enough force to break them apart. The blue colored form of the Nidaime landed in their middle, hands taking out a kunai, before taking off to Hinata. Rushing at Hinata's prone form, he didn't notice Hinata going through handseals or Haku moving her weapon. At the last moment of his charge, right before he thrust his weapon at Hinata's neck, his target was concealed by a poof of smoke. Before Tobirama had time to react, he was impaled in the chest by a long katana. The instant that happened, Haku, who had just been substituted with Hinata, pushed her chakra into the freezing array of her sword, using its power to freeze the resurrected Kage solid.

The block of ice containing the Nidaime cracked and broke, his form shattered. All three breathed in relief, they had managed to take him by surprise before he started using his real power. It was slightly ironic, as Nidaime was the one that always supported that 'you should never underestimate your enemy, no matter the rank'. All three looked around to see the other battles.

Behind the group, sand and dust gathered, reforming into the shape of a body covered in blue armor. None realized it until it was too late and the knife was well on its way. Zabuza's sensitive ears picked up a minute sound behind him, his eyes widening.

(A/N: I was sooo tempted to place a fake A/N here to make you all squirm,but that would be too cruel, even for me. So, I shall end this fake A/N here and let you continue on with the story :D)

Shino took out his kama and unleashed his insect allies, having them form a sphere around him. Their chakra sensing abilities allowing him to detect the movements of the Shodai Hokage, his kama moving to intercept the incoming blows. Behind him, Kurenai was preparing her genjutsu asssault while Anko smirked ferally, drew her blades and moved to support Shino, her being the only one fast enough to catch up thanks to her speed training.

Hashirama rushed at the team's weakest link, namely Shino, his hands ready to kill the young gennin. However he was interrupted by Anko's flashing blades, as her arms became bladed whips, her sceletal structure shifting to that of a snake. Unfazed by the risks of getting struck, since he was already dead, Hashirama ignored her. It was a mistake however, as Anko hadn't stored only poisons in her daggers. As her blades struck the revived Hokage, she puhed a bit of chakra into the proper seals, unsealing a potent explosive mixture she and Ibiki had once made. It looked like a red paste, getting stuck inside Hashirama's wounds. Right before he could get to Shino, the bug user charged and tried to grab him. Taking into advantage the surprise from this unexpected move, Shino managed to indeed grab Shodai.

Before the Kage had time to react, Shino's form disintegrated into a mass of insects, leaving only Shodai's form covered with explosive seals. Behind Anko emerged the real Shino, his hands already in the ram seal.

**BOOM!**

The Shodaime Hokage was blown apart as the combined force of the explosive seals and the paste Anko had gotten inside his wounds, created a pyre in the place of their former enemy. Both Anko and Shino were wondering if it was over, as Senju Hashirama WAS a Kage, so it couldn't have been that easy. Anko's heat-sight caught a figure in the ground only seconds before the First Hokage burst forth, his arm a spear of wood. Neither she, nor Shino would have survived the attack, were it not for the always vigilant Kurenai, who managed to wrap the incoming spear in some ninja wire, tearing it apart. It barely slowed the Kage down though, but it was enough for Anko to grab Shino and shunshin them away. Shino allowed a small smirk to grace his lips however, he had managed to place a female bug on Hashirama, he could always track him now. However, Shodai didn't intend to make it that easy for the trio, as he went through some quick handseals before slapping his hands on the ground, dense trees and vegetation coming to life, changing the battlefield to suit his needs. Vines burst from the woodland around them to trap the group, while spikes and spears of sharpened wood tried to claim their lives. Shino's dual Kama were quickly reinforced with wind chakra, making short work of everything around him, while Kurenai was busy searching for the Kage. Thankfully, Shino took care of any and all Mokuton attacks against the group. The Mantis Blades had a hard time working, seeing as the Kage's reserves wouldn't run out before theirs did.

After several seconds of desperate cutting and dodging, Kurenai found Shodai, his form and chakra clouded by the natural energies around her. Quickly she pointed Anko to his direction, the blade-using assassin dashhing quickly to take him out. Anko's blades flashed again, but this time they weren't two, there were six, as Anko's enlarged reserves enabled her to use the Kage Bunshin no Jutsu. With so many blades, Hashirama didn't have time to dodge, as Shino's insect allies also came upon him, leeching his chakra and giving it to the group. Anko took advantage of the chaos and had her two clones wrap themselves on Hashirama. Quickly kicking him skywards, she sealed her daggers and made a few handseals. The jutsu came quickly, being fed from the extra reserves she had in her bracers.

**"Bunshin Daibakuha! (Clone Great Explosion!)"**

The Kage was again blown apart, only this time it wasn't a clone but the real deal. Debris fell from the air around the group as they gathered to confirm that yes, they had taken him down. As the group turned around to look at the other fights, Hashirama's form was being recreated behind a great tree he had formed before. A bit of chakra and a handseal later, hidden spears of sharpened wood were launched towards the unsuspecting trio.

While the other two groups were fighting, Naruto positioned himself in front of the old man. Not only was he younger and tougher, even with Sandaime's armor, he also possessed a healing factor. The old man himself was using a mid-range weapon, while the snake had chosen a more close range weapon. Therefore, Sandaime could take advantage of the fact that Orochimaru would fight at a range he isn't accustomed to.

Configuring his body for optimum speed, knowing that this time the snake user wouldn't pull his punches, Naruto readied himself for combat by forcing his brain to increase his adrenaline flow. This simple chemical would help Naruto ignore pain and tiredness, while also making him faster and stronger. Of course there are dangers to overdosing on it, but it was worth it against such an opponent.

Claws came from the left, like an angry bear's swipe, the wind itself seemingly cut with the force behind it. Naruto reversed his motion sending a claw to Orochimaru's right, this time maintaining momentum and spinning on his right heel, going for a low swipe, hoping that his body would conceal his intentions.

Orochimaru dodged the first by bending to the side, using his Kusanagi to parry the second slash. He leapt over the third, readying his sword to pierce Naruto's temple, hopefully, for Orochimaru, killing him. Before he had the time though, a black and gold tip of a staff interferred, slamming itself on Orochimaru's forearm, with enough strength to shatter most people's femur bones (A/N: some of the hardest bones to break on the human body).

For his part, the snake user reeled in his hand, knowing full well that any injury, no matter how small, would give an advantage to his enemies. They already had enough advantages. Orochimaru felt the need to click his tongue in annoyance, hoping his two resurrected slaves would hurry up already and kill the upstarts so he could take down the old man in peace.

Naruto twisted around the staff, using his advanced reflexes and flexibility to make a double slash at Orochimaru's retreating form, his two tails keeping him balanced when anyone else would have fallen off. After missing, due to Orochimaru's dexterity and experience, Naruto used a tail to make a scorpion-like stab.

The snake user jumped back from the attack, only for Naruto to raise himself on the lodged tail, before flinging himself at Orochimaru, claws first. The snake user barely had the time for a **Tsuchi Bunshin/Kawarimi** combo, Naruto's form tearing right through the unfortunate clone.

Orochimaru made some one-handed seals before spitting out some fireballs.

**"Katon: Bakudan! (Fire Style: Explosive Blasts!)"**

The flaming orbs touched ground, causing several powerful explosions. From the dust came a cry that warned Orochimaru to dodge.

**"Fuuton: Sai Dai Kaze Rin! (Wind Style: Greatest Wind Ring!)"**

Orochimaru leaned his head to the side, expecting a pair of wind rings. What surprised him though was that, through the smoke came one absolutely huge ring of wind. Clicking his tongue, Orochimaru used **Kawarimi** to dodge the blade. As he touched ground though, he felt a chakra surge behind him and heard the old man shout out a jutsu.

**"Doton: Iwa no Kiba! (Earth Style: Stone Fangs!)"**

The ground shook and opened up, huge stalactites thrusting upwards, ready to impale the surprised snake user.

Outside the purple barrier, an ANBU team was watching with their jaws hanging.

"That... that is a real Kage-level fight... We... we'd only be in the way... and yet... and yet these _gennin_ are helping Hokage-sama! How? How can they do it? Even that damn Kyubi brat hasn't used his demon's power!" A rookie ANBU was freaking out.

Jiraiya dropped behind the team.

"Of course they can help. After all, they all have something that you bozos don't. Real guts, real courage. They all love the old man in their own way. That's what's giving them the power to beat up my former team-mate. Now stop staring and get to work. Konoha's still not safe."

The ANBU team nodded before dashing away. The Toad Sage was right, they had more important things to do than stare at a fight they couldn't win. They only hoped they could see it re-enacted at some point. Even the gennin inside were extremely powerful.

Back inside the purple dome, Zabuza's cleaver sword deflected the worst of the attack. He couldn't deflect it well enough though and it got lodged on his stomach. In responce, Hinata made a stabbing motion with her tonfa, blades out. Haku made a half-ram seal before blowing a freezing wind towards the Kage, just barely missing him.

Both Hinata and Haku were pissed off now. Zabuza was Haku's adopted father, the first person to need her, give her a reason to exist. Along his side she had learned a lot of things, she had found her home. No resurrected bastard, no matter how powerful would take Zabuza away from her. Hinata's thoughts were about the same. Even though Zabuza was a sadist, he was her sensei. One of the few people to care for her and give her the time of day. He taught her, sparred with her and helped her, even when she screwed up. Hinata growled as Haku snarled. Zabuza got hit because they didn't realize the threat. Their chakra spiked, their emotions raging. Hinata's chakra felt like the troubled sea, a storm brewing, while Haku's felt colder than the coldest eternal glacier, so cold it almost burned with restrained fury. Behind them, Zabuza felt the need to take a step back. It felt the same when Hinata and Haku had their 'time of the month' and someone was stupid enough to piss them off.

Sparing a quick glance to their partner, Hinata and Haku rushed towards the Nidaime, blades flashing. Not a step behind them, Kubikiri Honcho's impressive form was following them in the hands of its master.

The blue-covered resurrected shinobi was forced to duck Haku's slash, to come face to face with Hinata's electrified tonfa. As he threw himself away, Zabuza's cleaver went for the kill.

Tobirama was unable to escape completely, as he was still in the air, instead managing to shift his body just so, in order to only loose an arm.

The three shinobi looked in horror as his arm seemingly regenerated from ambient dust. In but a few seconds, Nidaime's arm had been restored and he dashed, ready to take down his targets.

Zabuza intercepted him, with a quick slash, forcing the Kage to leap over it, sending a kick at his face. Haku blurred above the Kage, her sword glowing a frozen blue hue, its blade aimed at the exposed neck. Nidaime finished his kick with blinding speed, using Zabuza as a springboard to get off and dodge. As the blow landed though, Hinata's form appeared behind him, her tonfa placed so the Kage would stab himself, even as Hinata would send a burst of chakra to the Kage's hara (japanese for belly button, also the center of the chakra coils, not a very good place to get jyuken'ed at).

Hinata's chakra rushed into the Nidaime's body, before at a mental command, exploding with great force. Hinata panted slightly, she still wasn't used to moving at such speeds. Medical chakra raced to her tired muscles, relieving the pain.

It wasn't over however as the Nidaime's exploded hara seemed to once again regenerate. Hinata's eyes closed in heavy focus, as her right hand made a half ram seal.

Hinata focused her mind on her target, her Byakugan revealing more and more minute details about her target.

Her breathing slowed to a crawl, her eyes and mind only saw one thing. The resurrected Kage repairing himself.

Hinata focused deeper and deeper, more and more, until even time itself slowed down to a crawl, the Kage frozen mid-strike.

Hinata's Byakugan pulsed with power. Were Hinata not in such a deep trance, she would have been surprised, but at her current state, she didn't even raise an eyebrow. Color now filled her byakugan, chakra was no longer a uniorm lite-blue hue, but changed, ever so minutely, for each person. She saw everyone's chakra, from Naruto's barely restrained wind and fire, to Shino's calm focus to Orochimaru's and the two Kage's corrupted power. Wait, what? She thought. The three shared chakra as if they were the same being. Of course she realized, the resurrected Kage were brought here by Orochimaru's jutsu. But to have it function for so long would mean they needed a focus. If she could find it...

Hinata's eyes opened up wide, the frozen moment over. Quickly she turned to her fighting teammates.

"The seal! Nidaime-sama has a seal in his head! We need to destroy it and his body at the same time or he will regenerate! We need a powerful attack in order to completely destroy his body! Not even a speck of dust may escape!"

Zabuza grunted. He already suspected as much. But where would they find such an attack? All three of them were suiton/fuuton users. They couldn't destroy his body like that, they needed a katon specialist. Zabuza's eyes widened. That was it!

"The barrier! Throw him at the barrier with as much power as possible!"

Haku and Hinata nodded, realizing what he meant. However, the suiton master wouldn't just let them do it. Speeding through some handseals, he called out his technique.

**"Kokuangyo no Jutsu. (Piercing Darkness Technique, if I'm not mistaken)"**

The light dimmed for the three warriors, as the technique took effect. All three tried to use 'Kai' to remove the genjutsu, but it didn't work. Quickly they realized that this wasn't a genjutsu, but a ninjutsu.

However, the Nidaime had not foreseen one thing. He wasn't the only one that could fight without his eyes.

Zabuza had fought like that since he was a gennin. Haku had great experience in it, seeing as she often fought within Zabuza's mist. Hinata too, had learned **Kirigakure no Jutsu (Hidden in the Mist Technique)**, knowing it would help with her Byakugan. All three closed their eyes in focus and sent chakra to their ears and skin, becoming highly sensitive to sound and vibrations.

Tobirama charged at the unmoving pair, seeking to end this fight quickly, lest they end him. He was greatly surprised when they moved to intercept him. Sure their performance had dropped, but it wasn't anywhere near the level he expected it to be. Leaping back, he made several handseals before unleashing his jutsu.

**"Suiton: Suiryudan no Jutsu. (Water Style: Water Dragon Technique.)"**

Haku sped through handseals too, knowing she was the best suited to counter him.

**"Hyoton: Haryu Mouko! (Ice Style: Dragon Ripping Frozen Tiger!)"**

Haku's jutsu rushed at the unsuspecting Kage, taking him by surprise. Nidaime's lower body froze, keeping him in place. Haku called to her teammates.

"Ima desu! Zabuza-sama! San-Hyoryu konbi da! (Now! Zabuza-sama! Three Frozen Dragons combo!)"

Zabuza grunted as he stabbed his cleaver on the ground and sped through a number of handseals. He expended the rest of his blade's chakra reserves and completed the jutsu using his own chakra. Next to him, Haku used a half-ram seal of her own. Having taken a soldier pill and still being exhausted, she knew it was all or nothing. Either they would beat the Nidaime or they would fail. Pushing thoughts of failure out of her mind, including pictures of Shino being hurt because she wasn't strong enough, Haku pushed the last of her chakra into her jutsu.

**"Suiton: Santouryudan no Jutsu! (Water Style: Triple Headed Dragon Blast Technique!)"**

**"Hyoton: Hyokaze! (Ice Style: Freezing Wind!)"**

The two jutsu combined, Haku's kekkei-genkai freezing Zabuza's suiton assault. The frozen dragons slammed on the immobilized Kage. With insane crushing force, the Kage stayed where he was only because he was frozen solid before he could be thrown away. The pressure of the ice around him though, would have instantly turned any other human to mush, Kage or not. However, the ice had one more effect. Due to the layer of chakra, it blocked Tobirama's chakra even for a second, dispelling his darkness technique. By the time Tobirama had regained control of his chakra, he was already frozen solid, unable to perform the handseals for it. Hinata appeared in front of him, Tonfa blazing with power, as the outside layer cracked by the Kage's resistance.

As soon as she heard Haku's command, Hinata knew what she had to do. Taking a pair of soldier pills, knowing full well what they would do to her already strained coils, she withdrew her entire reserves from her tonfa, overcharging her coils. Using her supreme control, she forced the excess chakra outside of her body, covering her in a sort of armor.

However, the armor would expend its reserves quickly, each second being important. Still, Hinata needed the excess chakra _now_, she wouldn't have time to withdraw it from her tonfa while attacking.

As the darkness faded, Tobirama saw a terrifying sight. Hinata was in front of him, her chakra forming an armor. It quickly stabilized and, should Tobirama be still alive, he would be left with his jaw hanging. Around Hinata, a spectral tiger had formed, its maw open and eyes filled with fury and power. The Hokage didn't have time to consider this as he was assaulted by Hinata's blazing tonfa.

**"Byakko... (White Tiger...)"**

Tonfa sped up, stabbing at the Kage's body, ripping out his joints. Chakra slammed with great force on his chakra coils, shutting them close, almost cauterizing them. Lightning coursed through the Kage's body, melting the ice, even as it electrocuted him, frying the nerves on his body.

Hinata's speed left even Haku gawking.

Sixty two strikes fell on the Kage's body, each more damaging than the previous one. Number sixty-three was an uppercut, its force ripping the Kage out of his frozen cage.

Hinata's entire chakra gathered at her right tonfa as she cocked her arm back. To everyone looking, it seemed like a tiger's head had appeared on her fist.

**"MOUI! (Fury!)"**

**BOOM!**

Hinata's tonfa slammed on the kage with exploding force, as she put her entire weight on the blow, her chakra sending a powerful shockwave from the exploding force.

The Kage's body felt like a dummy as it was blasted away with terrifying force, slamming on the purple barrier.

Hinata fell to her knees, her strength leaving her. Her eyes closing, her world growing dim, she saw one last thing before unconsciousness took her. The Nidaime Hokage's, Senju Tobirama's, proud smile.

On the other side of the dome, Shino had been hard pressed to dodge, managing, just in time to spin in a defencive motion, his kama cutting the rising spikes. Anko's reflexes allowed her to shove Shino and Kurenai out of the way. She wasn't as lucky though and was impaled through the chest.

Before long however, Anko ripped herself free, her wounds closing and her clothes mending themselves. Her eyes were filled with righteous fury.

"That hurt you bastard!"

Shino and Kurenai would have face planted, had they not grown used to Anko's antics. Hashirama wasted no time in sending an assault of wooden spears to lead the group into a trap he had made for them.

Spears and vines coming from every direction, Shino could barely keep up, same as Anko and Kurenai. Anko however was the better off, as her contortionist-like body allowed her to avoid rather than have to cut and block. As they were forced back, Shino's eyes widened imperceptibly behind his glasses.

Almost immidiately, countless wooden planks rose from the earth and made a dome before curving to the middle and making a completely closed off dome. From within the dome, Kurenai and Shino could only watch in horror, as what seemed to be oversized rose thorns, the size of a man's arm, grew outwards. A second later, the same thorns were launched at the pair.

Hearing the cries of pain, Tobirama let the dome collapse, before making a sharpened staff out of hard wood and charging the still-horrified Anko.

A split-second before getting to her however, ninja wire was wrapped around him. A coated form landed in front of Hashirama, two kama on his hands. A burst of chakra later and the form was behind the Kage.

Shodai's arms fell off as he had somehow managed to raise them, despite the wire binding him, using them to take out the worst of the attack.

Anko, Kurenai and Shino watched in morbid fascination as the Kage repaired himself from what seemed to be dust.

Seeing this, Shino's mind went to overdrive, trying to figure out ways to counter this, knowing they couldn't defeat an enemy that couldn't bleed or die. He brought up to his mind every thing he saw Orochimaru do, comparing them to his tiny allies' chakra readings. Thankfully, even though Shodai had managed to deflect the worst part of his last attack, he managed to place a number of kikai on him. Not enough to drain him, but enough to map his body out for Shino.

Shino rushed for cover and closed his eyes, knowing his team-mates would keep Shodai's attention on him while he figured out this riddle. At start it seemed impossible, before he remembered Naruto's words that 'nothing is impossible if you believe enough in it'. Anko would have cracked a joke about Shino's brain cooking itself alive with this enigma, but she was too deep in shit to think about it, being forced to take a Kage-level opponent head on. Thankfully, Kurenai's genjutsu attacks aided her a lot, since, even though Shodai would almost immidiately release them, they still gave Anko that prescious little time she needed to get out of danger.

Meanwhile, Shino was still thinking until he noticed something. Shodai had too much chakra running into his mind and, having some experience with seals thanks to Naruto's fascination, he recognized the patterns as being seal-induced. That meant that Shodai had a seal inside his head, opening up the possibilities of it, either controlling, or keeping the Kage in the living realm. Taking out that seal would be imperative for them. However, Shino realized that in order to make sure it was gone, they would also need to completely destroy the body as well, lest the seal regenerated itself like the body.

Quickly he spoke to his insect allies, ordering them to transfer the message silently to the women fighting the kage. Taking a deep breath to stabilize himself, Shino charged at the Shodai Hokage.

Mere seconds later, he was forced to dodge to the side as the plantlife itself attacked him. Pushing chakra into his limbs to increase his speed, Shino rushed at the Kage's location. Before he got there though, he saw him sink into the trees he had made. Almost immidiately, he had to avoid being impaled by a sharpened spear as the Kage emerged from another tree. Shino's analytical mind was still working overtime for this. He knew every jutsu Anko and Kurenai knew. Neither of the two had enough firepower for this. If they had Haku, she could have tried to reinforce a Katon with fuuton chakra, but as it was, they just couldn't do it. An idea came to Shino's mind. If you can't use your own resources, use the enemy's. Looking around, he saw the purple flame barrier. Knowing what it could do, since he had seen an ANBU try and penetrate it, he knew it possessed the required damage potential. Hopefully...

Clearing his head, he communicated the plan to his team. Of course, leading a Kage that can warp through trees, in a tree-filled area, isn't exactly an easy process.

Seeing the Kage form handseals before slamming his hands on the ground, the insect user feared the worse as he sensed chakra gather around Kurenai. Poisonous thorny vines sprung from the earth ready to wrap her and kill her. Quickly, Shino formed his 'kama staff' before sending chakra into the fuuton arrays and throwing it at Kurenai. Wire wrapped around it would ensure that he could take out the dangerous vines without striking Kurenai. As the weapon sped in an ominous circle of blades, Shino felt a presence behind him, managing to dodge just in time before a **Moku Bunshin(Wood Clone)** managed to give him a powerful punch to the spine, possibly breaking it. However, the need to dodge, mean he had to let go of his weapon, hoping Kurenai had managed to free herself. Instead he focused on dodging the enemy, before taking out a pair of kunai and manging to impale it on the head. Shino thanked Kami that Moku bunshins, while tough, were very slow and lacked skill.

Meanwhile, Anko and Kurenai were hard pressed to avoid the worst end of a beating from the Shodai. He was almost as fast and strong as Anko, with much more experience and an insane regeneration rate. Anko could for the first time feel how much it sucked to have an enemy with that great regenerational capabilities, higher even than Naruto.

Thankfully, the two kunoichi weren't jounin for nothing. They had spent a long time practicing, both alone and together, had great experience and teamwork. Kurenai's flight array also proved to be a lifesaver, enabling her to dodge in insane ways when needed. She still couldn't fly right, but she could definitely glide and jump high. Next to her, Kurenai was having trouble as well, as her poisons were ineffective at someone who didn't have blood. Using explosives was out as well, seeing as he could simply regenerate somewhere else. Her Katon list was also ineffective. Sure she had a pair of B-ranked Katon and an A-rank, but he was a Kage that could control the environment completely. He'd have a back-up plan, a defence and a ton of experience to fall back to. Not to mention powerful ninjutsu she could barely predict.

The trio fought for a long time, taking and giving blows, the fight hanging in delicate balance, until the balance... broke.

Moving to defend Kurenai, Shino was snared by an unnoticed vine, before being slammed on the floor. Kurenai dashed to catch him before he was injured beyond recovery, only to get impaled in the stomach by a wooden spear.

Anko froze.

Her friend and student... Kurenai and Shino... had... had been hurt... were they dead? Had she lost someone to the snake bastard that took so much away from her?

Kyubi snarled. The bug user was his ally and a nature-friend as well. The red-eyed jounin was kind and never hated his container. Sensing Anko's fear, he spoke to her.

**"Do not cry Anko... Do not shed a tear. This is not the way of a warrior, your way. This bastard has **_**dared**_** take someone away from you. Tear him to pieces Anko! Unleash terrible vengeance on the fool that took them away from you!"**

"Yes... yes I will..." Anko turned towards Shodai, her eyes positively murderous. Anko often felt fury, but rarely _this_ intence. It burned within her, almost hurting her but instead giving her strength. Anko's eyes became red and slitted as Kyubi's power coursed through her. "Kyubi... give me more power... I will avenge them and send this piece of shit back to the hell THAT SPAWNED HIM!"

Youkai coursed through Anko, more and more as each second passed. Shodai readied his jutsu for the incoming assault.

Anko screamed in fury as she charged, her blades flashing in a dazzling show of silver, shredding the incoming mokuton apart. Shodai tried to use a Kawarimi, but Anko's heat-sight caught him. Before he could move, he was brutally kicked and thrown out of his forest. Instants later, Anko was upon him, her fury almost freezing him.

Shodai sped for the seals to stop the youkai but he never got the time. Anko blurred out of his sight behind him, her blades cutting the tendons and muscles that moved his arms. She made a pivot with her blades flashing at his spinal cord, severing it. However, Shodai never had the chance to fall down or repair his body as Anko unleashed her full fury on him.

Daggers flaming due to the fire arrays on them, Anko unleashed a tempest of blows and slashes.

Left, right, top or bottom, the flashing blades left no room for defence, counter or parry. Shodai could only try to stiffen his muscles to reduce the damage, but the flaming blades cut right through him like a knife through warm butter. Anko's flashed in a pattern reminiscent of an infinity symbol, hacking and incinerating her enemy at the same time. Reversing her grip, Anko made a double slash at Shodai's throat, taking away his voice. Twisting them in her skilled fingers, she sent a double impale right into his kidneys, before reversing her grip again and gutting him like a pig. Before the Shodai had time to move, Anko's daggers had reversed again, before stabbing them at Shodai's temples.

Anko withdrew her blades and tumbled back. Charging her feet with as much youkai as she could handle, which isn't a small amount by the way, she dashed to the murderer of her friend. A mere three steps before her target, she leapt forwards, both feet striking the Kage with tremendous force.

Hashirama was thrown backwards like nothing more than a flaming sack of potatoes before impacting on the barrier with enough force to send a shockwave through it. He barely had the time to smile sadly after his seal was burned, before his body was disintegrated and his spirit returned to rest.

Anko watched with some satisfaction as the Shodai Hokage was burned alive, before remembering her friends and rushing to them. Wiping the tears from her eyes, Anko searched for a pulse in both of them.

Orochimaru barely managed to dodge the rising spikes, only to gulp as ten **Kage Bunshin** of Naruto came from the smoke and dust his explosions had created. With the clones having their claws out and moving at high speeds, Orochimaru couldn't dodge them all. However, he did manage to dispel the clones, even though he was forced to once change skins. Donning a confident mask on his face, Orochimaru smirked at Naruto and Sarutobi.

"Well well well, looks like you have been working hard. However you cannot defeat me, _sensei_. I am on a whole different level from you two. You can't even hurt my body, _even if I was inside my original one!_"

Sarutobi's and Naruto's eyes widened before they narrowed them. Orochimaru chuckled evilly before raising his hand to his face, his fingers grabbing something.

"See now? How foolish it is to oppose me?" With that, Orochimaru removed his own face, revealing the face of a young woman. The snake user chuckled at the disgusted faces he got. Naruto however, wasn't ready to let that bastard out-creep him.

"Whoah, she's even wearing make-up. Guess that's where you got your trend you gay pedophile." Orochimaru bristled with fury at Naruto's words. "I seriously don't know what's worse. You not standing being gay and having to change body in order to... belong, or the fact that you think that being immortal is a good thing. Oro-teme, trust me when I say that being immortal isn't pleasant. After all... I am one too. My body has long since expelled the flaw of age from it. Trust me when I say that I'd give it up though, any day, for my friends."

Orochimaru didn't know what to choose. Hate for Naruto, for not only out-doing him, but also speaking in such a way to him, or desiring him, even more, knowing that with Naruto's perfect body, he wouldn't have to switch ever again.

Yet... a small part of Orochimaru, a part trapped under waves and waves of hate did something else. That part admired Naruto's tenacity, his virtues, his strength of spirit. That part became more and more aware of its own demise and it began wanting to be free.

Unaware of this however, Orochimaru simply chuckled darkly to cover his unease. "Which is why I want you by my side so much. Come with me Naruto-kun. If you do, not only will I spare your friends, but I will also give you great power and a true home. However, if you don't come with me, you will see your 'beloved friends' suffer beyond measure or imagination. Now come with me Naruto-kun! Come with me and grab your destiny!"

Naruto scoffed at Orochimaru's speech. "Like hell I am teme. I know full well what you are. That's exactly why I'm not joining you. That's exactly why... I'm going to kill you."

Wasting no more words, Naruto charged Orochimaru, his claws flashing left and right, Sandaime's spinning staff accompanying them, forcing the Snake Sennin back. Orochimaru snarled. His enemies wouldn't give him time to use his really powerful jutsu. Wasting time for hand-seals was impossible as he would be run through by claws in mere seconds.

Sandaime's staff moved with speed and precision, even while he drew out explosives to throw at his wayward student. Opting for normal explosive tags and spheres, knowing that Orochimaru wouldn't be hindered by smoke or poison, Sandaime provided chakra-cheap cover for Naruto's ceaseless assault. Once again Sarutobi was surprised at Naruto's skill and isntinct in fighting. He dodged and weaved, blocked and parried with practiced ease, adapting and improvising at the drop of a hat, managing to keep his enemy at bay. Of course, Naruto wouldn't have been able to do this alone, but with Sandaime's timely and precise interference, the two of them would tire out Orochimaru before taking him down.

Orochimaru saw his predicament and unleashed numerous snakes, even as he dodged and countered. The brat's claws flashed with immense speed, cutting them out before they even got close to him. Seeing the futility of this approach, Orochimaru made a few handseals, while dodging away from Naruto's flashing claws, before sending out a lightning bolt. He hoped that at least this jutsu would be effective.

Naruto for his part cursed. Due to the lack of lightning users in Konoha, Naruto wasn't as resistant to electrical attacks as he was with Katon. Also, he couldn't use a Doton or Suiton to defend, as the lightning would just rip right through it. Seeing no alternative, Naruto drew upon Kyubi's chakra to dodge.

**"Raiton: Dageki! (Lightning Style: Lightning Strike!)"**

Becoming a crimson blur, Naruto changed some of his youkai to wind and dashed forward in a risky maneuevre. By ducking under the jutsu, he was within striking distance of Orochimaru.

However, it wasn't meant to be that easy, as Orochimaru predicted that. Quickly, he substituted himself with a tile on the floor, before stabbing his Kusanagi right into Naruto's belly. Giving a sick smile, Orochimaru twisted the blade, causing Naruto to scream in pain, before almost cutting Naruto in half.

Raising his sword to decapitate the blonde menace, he was quickly forced to dodge as Sandaime rushed in to defend Naruto.

Sandaime watched Orochimaru's movements and knew what he was going to do. However he was too late to warn his adopted grandchild. Cursing, he rushed forward, readying his staff to intercept the blow.

Orochimaru's eyes widened at the vigor with which Sandaime was moving. For his part, Sarutobi was smirking inside. Naruto's medical seal had unleashed a small batch of combat chemicals to improve performance. Using superior expertise and knowledge against his opponent's superior speed and flexibility, Sarutobi twirled his staff around him, lashing out to the **Tsuchi Bunshin (Mud Clones)** that rose to attack him, before smashing the head of a poisonous serpent sent by Orochimaru. Moving more like a monkey than a human, Hiruzen leapt at Orochimaru, his staff creating a barrier in front of him. From behind the barrier, a pair of clones rushed at Orochimaru's form. Taking him by surprise they stabbed him with a pair of explosive kunai. An instant later a pair of explosions took out Orochimaru's legs.

Sarutobi didn't have time to rejoice however, as Orochimaru grew a snake-like tail and increased even more in speed, moving in for a the kill. Before the surprised Kage had time to defend himself, a red and black blur moved behind Orochimaru, cutting off his tail. In responce, their enemy turned to mud, before another Orochimaru emerged from the ground under Sandaime. For his part, Sandaime made a few handseals.

**"Katon: Dai Endan! (Fire Style: Great Fire Bullet!)"**

Fire streamed at Orochimaru's surprised face, incinerating him. After the fire died down, Sarutobi and Naruto were treated to the sight of scorched snake skin. From underground, a silvery flash went right towards Sandaime.

Naruto felt the vibrations and rushed to defend his grandfather figure. As a result, the Kusanagi sword ripped right into Naruto, who fell down from unexpected pain. Laughing, Orochimaru emerged from the ground.

"See how futile it is to resist me? I am a superior being, far beyond your wildest dreams. You cannot kill me."

Naruto tried in vain to stand, but found that his feet lacked strength. Orochimaru saw his struggle and chuckled.

"What? Did you think you're the only one that can adapt? How naive. You see, this isn't poison that's hurting you. Its my own chakra, condenced to the point it becomes youkai! Even if you're immune to poison, my chakra will still hurt you. Sure, it didn't kill you as it normally does, but it is going to immobilize you long enough for me to kill this old relic and every fool here! You had lost from the beggining!"

Orochimaru laughed in evil glee while Naruto snarled. Using Sandaime as a counterweight, Naruto got up and stood on his feet shakily. Then he spoke quietly. "Ji-chan, can you immobilize him when I tell you? I can't fight him but I have something up my sleeve. It's still experimental, but its powerful. However I need you to immobilize him when I tell you and then get the heck out of there. Can you do it?"

Sandaime nodded and gripped his staff, readying himself. Meanwhile Naruto turned to Orochimaru.

"You may have paralyzed me Orochimaru, but this fight isn't over yet. Me and jiji here are going to teach you something. A body without a soul has no power to live, but a soul without a heart has no right to live. That's why we're going to rid the world of your existence!"

Sarutobi steeled himself. "It's time baka-deshi for me to put you back to your place. You aren't yet ready to be a master and you never will. Now ready yourself!"

Sarutobi rushed forward, diamond staff at the ready. Orochimaru rushed forward as well, Kusanagi in striking position.

The two clashed, pitting their everything against each other. However, both knew that Orochimaru would win this fight. Still, Sandaime didn't let up and unleashed jutsu after jutsu, strike after strike upon his wayward student.

For his part, Orochimaru dodged and weaved, unleashing his own assault upon the old man against him. He was slightly upset by Naruto's words, but didn't let that sway him. The time of his revenge was so close!

Behind the two enemies, Naruto made a handseal, creating two clones at his side. They stood shakily at first, but understood what they had to do.

Chakra flowed through Naruto, emerging from the amulet he had underneath his clothes. Kyubi withdrew his youkai, knowing that Naruto would need as much control as possible to survive this.

Naruto's hands rose in front of him, palms half-open as if something was preventing them from closing. The clones to the left and right raised their own hands, palms open at the sides of Naruto's own arms as chakra flared.

Orochimaru moved quickly, the old man hadn't lost his touch. If anything he had become better in these last few years. Orochimaru could barely keep up with his old sensei, but he knew he'd tire fast. When Sarutobi tired... he would strike and kill the despicable man. Still, he was worried about the building chakra behind him, but didn't let it bother him too much. Such chakra would make a wide-area technique, meaning that he wouldn't use it while the old man was within range. Naruto was too honorable to do something like that.

Meanwhile, with Naruto, chakra had flared, creating two pointed coccoons of energy at his palms, the two clones gritting their teeth as they tried to contain the power within. Minute flashes erupted from the swirl of power as wind picked up, obscuring their forms. Naruto's arms shook as he tried to control it, occasionally a gash appearing on his arm, causing him to grit his teeth in pain, waiting for it to heal.

Many agonizing seconds passed, each more painful than the previous as the chakra began to burn the flesh away. However, it was close, so close, Naruto could feel the power on his hands and he couldn't help but... hate the fact that he had to use it. He hated the fact that once again he had to resort to killing. Removing doubts and sadness, Naruto focused on the target of his hate, the bastard that dared try and hurt his ji-san. White-hot fury coursed through Naruto's vains, being quickly converted to more determination and focus.

Finally it was complete. Drills of barely restrained power on Naruto's arms, his clothes shredding by the barely restrained power. Sparing a tiny amount of concentration, Naruto opened his mouth and spoke.

"IMA DA JIJI! (NOW JIJI!)"

In responce, the old man sped up considerably and let go of his staff. Said staff transformed back into Enma and grabbed Orochimaru, immobilizing him. Sandaime went through several lgihtning-fast handseals before kicking at Orochimaru.

**"Doton: Daichi no Houyou(Earth Style: Earth's Embrace!)"**

In responce, mud was launched from Sandaime's boot and splashed on Orochimaru before covering him and hardening to stone. Before he knew it, Orochimaru was covered in stone, almost completely immobilized. His eyes fell upon the ready form on Naruto, feeling for the first time, just what the plan had been. The snake user cursed and moved his right arm, that was somewhat free, to swallow Kusanagi. Using some of the blood Sandaime had spilt in their fight, Orochimaru desperately went through handseals, pushing his chakra into the technique.

**"Kuchiyose: Rashoumon! (Summon: Rashoumon!)"**

Meanwhile, a huge explosion of chakra originated on each of Naruto's palms as he called out his own technique.

**"Oodama Rasenfuuho! (Great Spiral Wind Cannon!)"**

As the giant demon-faced gate rose, Naruto's attack slammed on it creating a blinding light.

Behind the gate, Orochimaru smirked victoriously. This was an ultimate defence technique. Very, very few things could get through, no matter what. Heck, it could withstand a weak bujuu's attack. Then... it happened. The jutsu collided and Orochimaru watched in absent terror as his Rashoumon was torn apart by the forces contained in the technique. He barely had enough time to brace himself as he was ripped off his stony prison, thrown backwards, while being ripped apart by the power of the technique, only to be slammed with great force right into the purple barrier he had erected to keep Sandaime in.

Luckily for Orochimaru, the henchmen keeping the barrier up let it drop immidiately, saving their leader from incineration. However, that doesn't mean he got away unscathed. Half of Orochimaru's face was burned beyond recognition while his arms... he used them to prevent his head from hitting the barrier so they took the worst damage. Now, instead of arms, Orochimaru had scorched stumps. Sandaime prepared to rush at him and finish the job.

However, before getting the time for it, the henchmen interferred, two of them picking up their leader while the other two unleashed several jutsu to cover the escape, namely sound-based genjutsu and nigh-unbreakable spiderwebs.

Seeing as they got away, Sandaime called for a few ANBU to carry the gennin to the hospital before he too went towards it. Next to him landed Jiraiya, his face grim.

"He got away this time too didn't he sensei?"

"Hai, correct Jiraiya-chan. However, it seems he got a souvenir this time. Now go take a look at your godson. I still don't trust every doctor in there."

Jiraiya nodded and left as Sarutobi looked over Konoha.

"The will of fire isn't extinguished that easily. Even if a tiny spark survives, it grows again, stronger than ever. I wish you had learned his baka-deshi... you could have been great..."

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**A/N: Finally its over! One of the hardest chapters to write, made even harder by several breaks I had to take. What can I say? Sometimes my life's complicated. Ah well, so is everyone's I guess.**

**Anyway please review and tell me what you think. I hope I made the chapter epic enough to repay your wait. Some things will be made clearer in chapter 20, which I hope will come soon. Till then.**

**Jutsu list:**

Oodama Rasenfuuho (Great Spiral Wind Cannon): Naruto's most destructive technique to this point, it isn't as useful as one thinks. It takes too much time to charge up and wastes too much chakra. Pin-point chakra control is needed, lest the user's arms be shredded by the power. Naruto needs three clones and his entire chakra reserve to pull this off, even then getting wounded. However, this is a triple-elemented attack,causing immense damage. The wind's speed causes the air to heat up, something that Naruto takes advantage of with fire manipulation, using an entire Shadow Clone for it. In the same manner, the heated air causes air friction to increase, creating electricity. The second clone increases its presence and power while leading it to the front of the attack in order to increase penetration. Truly a terrifying attack, yet a rarely used one. Cost: S, Control: A-S, Rank: S

**Katon: Dai Endan (Fire Style: Great Fire Bomb): An explosive counterpart to Katon: Gokakyu no Jutsu. Same rank and cost, but it creates an explosion instead of a sustained fireball.**

**Raiton: Dageki (Lightning Style: Lightning Strike): A raiton technique, where upon the user creates a lightning bolt and has it strike the target, potentially paraluzing him. Cost: B, Control: B, Rank: B**

**Byakko Moui (White Tiger Fury): A taijutsu technique requiring almost all of Hinata's chakra, including the reserves in her tonfa, it is a most terrifying attack. Excess chakra is emitted from the body in the form of a tiger, ready to be used into the technique. The user then executes a Hakke Rokujouyonshou using way more chakra than normal. Contrary to the usual execution, the user also increases strength to phenomenal levels, each strike hitting not only tenketsu, but joints as well. Thanks to Hinata's bladed tonfa, the enemy also suffers electrocution as well as multiple stab wounds. The final attack expends the majority of the chakra, more than the entire rest of the technique together, creating an explosion strong enough to cause a boulder to explode.**

**Hyoton: Hyokaze (Ice Style: Ice Wind): A jutsu Haku created for the time she doesn't have enough chakra to use a normal hyoton. She expels winds so cold they can freeze a suiton solid, or if she desires so, turn it into a hyoton. Additionally, if the enemy is in close range, she can freeze the enemy directly. Cost: C, Control: B, Rank: C**

**Katon Bakudan (Fire Style: Explosive Blasts): An explosive variant to Katon: Housenka. Instead of mere fire, the user creates small explosives that, depending on chakra and control, can be more dangerous than an explosive note. It is the same rank however.**

**Doton: Daichi no Houyou (Earth Style: Earth's Embrace): A high-ranked Doton, whose target is restraining an enemy. Mud is either launched or created under the opponent, then caused to cover as much as possible before hardening. In order to escape underground jutsu, the user coats it with his own chakra, therefore preventing the enemy's escape unless they possess either more chakra reserves or more potent chakra than the user. Cost: A, Control: A, Rank: A.  
**

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**Today, on this 9/6/2012, I, Soulblazer87, do hereby leave this site, possibly forever.**

**I shall not update this, or any other story.**

**I shall leave them on, however. Should you desire to follow my stories, do so in my new site of residence: www dot yourfanfiction dot com.**


	20. Chapter 20

_Chapter 20: Aftermath_

Naruto woke up with a start, blinking a few times before his eyes became used to the absolute white of his hospital room. Scents came and flooded his senses. A machine 'blipped' next to him. On a nearby chair, Anko was sleeping, slowly snoring.

Naruto stretched like a fox before quickly putting on some clothes. After getting dressed, he walked towards his sister, making sure to make a bit of noise. Orochimaru had trained Anko to react violently to anyone that came near her while attempting to sneak, making an instinctive reaction rather than a conscious procedure. Gently he woke her up, watching her rub her eyes with the back of her hands.

"Yo, neechan! Sleep well?"

Anko stiffled a yawn before answering. "Yeah it was ok. My back's gonna kill me later though. Anyway, what about you? Kyubi said you were exhausted by the jutsu. Heck even he had a hard time healing you."

'Aww,Kyu-kun, you DO care!' Naruto mocked inside his mind.

**"Shut it brat. I just didn't want my original container to die is all. Who would I have to ridicule all the time then?"** Kyubi answered in a huffing tone. Both though knew it was their own way of showing that they care.

On the outside Anko chuckled as she overheard the conversation. Even after a month, she could barely believe what had happened to her, never mention Naruto's guts, calling the Demon Lord a perverted, overgrown bunny. It still brought laughter to the group.

As the pair started walking out of the room, Naruto asked what had happened to the others, as he was too deep in trouble to spare the moment to look at them, except vey few instants. After all their enemies were former Hokage...

"Zabuza's mostly alright, he was just tired with some minor cuts, he's already up, as if anything could keep him on a bed for more than half a day. Haku's a bit worse, as she got hit quite a few times, but it's mostly cracked ribs and a case of chakra exhaustion, she's also up. Hinata's the worst of the three." Naruto's eyes widened in fear as he turned his entire attention to Anko. "She used her muscles too much, some of it was torn by her efforts. She got a few cuts mid-combat too, though she was able to heal the worst almost as fast as she got them. However... Hinata suffers from heavy chakra exhaustion... Chakra sensors (shinobi or people that can sense chakra inside others, but not to the extent and perfection of the Byakugan) could barely sense any in her... she came close to dying more than a few times..." At this, Naruto froze in his tracks, filled with horror and fear. "Thankfully, a couple of Hyuga came around and helped her recover. Seems not every member of her family hates her. She's alright now, Haku's been checking on her every hour or so, just to make sure everything's perfect."

Naruto breathed a sigh of relief. He was happy that his Hina-chan was safe, but hated the fact that he had indirectly led to that danger. Naruto almost shook with rage as it was Orochimaru who caused this. _'Strike two Hebi-teme. You won't get a strike three'_ Naruto thought as he walked through corridors to get to Hinata.

"What about Shino and Kurenai?" In responce Anko froze mid-step, causing Naruto look at her questioningly, before his eyes widened fearing the worst.

"They are fine... alive... Shino got half his ribcage broken, the rest cracked. Part of his spine was damaged as well, while he suffered a serious case of a concussion. He's stable now... but when I and Jiraiya brought him in... he was fading fast. Luckily his father, Shibi, was able to communicate with Shino's hive, giving us full readouts of his body's condition without outside interference. That was Shino's saving grace... Kurenai was a different matter altogether. Shodai had her impaled through her stomach, almost cutting her in two... Her pulse was so faint I was afraid she wouldn't make it..."

Naruto hugged his adopted sister. Ever since her release from Orochimaru's seal, many emotions were released from Anko's tight grip over her heart. Because she had so little experience over them, some times they overwhelmed her.

After he comforted her for a bit, Anko whispered to Naruto. "Now I know how you felt back in Wave... when you stop using youkai, the bloodlust is still there... Kami, Naruto, I almost ripped them apart right there and then. Thakfully, Kyubi brought me back to my senses before I could do it."

Naruto gave her a sympathetic look, he too had felt it. He still had nightmares over it.

The pair slowly made their way towards Hinata's room. Two ANBU were stationed at her door and gave a curt nod to Anko and a small bow towards Naruto. For himself, the blonde jinchuuriki raised an eyebrow. He wasn't used to a show of respect.

Filing it away for later consideration, he walked inside Hinata's room and almost fell to his knees. Hinata was asleep with a calm look on her face, sunlight falling on her at just the right angle, making her look like a sleeping angel. However, what shook Naruto was all the machinery that had wrapped Hinata up. It showed just how careless and irresponsible he had been in having Hinata fight such a powerful opponent. Tentatively he walked towards her, his hand slowly, hesitantly, making its way towards her. It got closer and closer to her pale, beautiful face...

He touched her... her skin was cool to the touch, a sharp contrast to the warm air around him. When she didn't react, Naruto felt tears welling up in his eyes. He shut them tight, trieing in vain to stop the tears. Noting a chair next to her bed, he sat on it and placed his head next to her hands, nuzzling them, as if that would bring her back to him.

"Hinata-chan..." A barely audible whisper, so sorrowful, Anko felt like she was intruding at a couple's most intimate moment of sadness.

Deep inside the girl known as Hinata, something sparked, something moved. Perhaps the feeling of her love next to her, perhaps the sound of his voice, perhaps simply enough time had passed. The spark was Hinata's conscious mind, awakening after its slumber and cold, dreamless sleep. Pain coursed through Hinata, her body aching, urging her to sleep again. However, a small, barely noticeable warm breath on her hand

Hinata's eyes slowly opened, slowly enough to not be blinded by the white-ness of the hospital walls. Near the door stood Anko, her back turned to her, not wanting to intrude any further to the couple's affairs. The breath came again, this time with the feeling of skin on skin and Hinata moved her head to the side seeing a familiar blonde mop of hair. Whimpering sounds came from the head hidden by the hair.

Hinata pushed her body, against the pain, her hand moving to caress Naruto, showing him that she was there for him.

Naruto's whimpers stopped at Hinata's unexpected motion and he raised his head to look at her face. Her eyes were filled with sadness, Naruto just stared at the lavender pools that were his love's eyes.

"Gomen, Hinata-chan, I didn't intend to wake you up... you must be tired hime, please go back to sleep..." Naruto whispered guiltily. Couldn't he do anything right? He had woken her up while she needed as much rest as she could get.

Moving to remove his head, he was surprise when Hinata's hands moved to prevent him. Hinata's angelic voice came tired and strained.

"No... stay... please..." Unable to resist, Naruto complied with Hinata's request, soon both falling asleep.

Anko had left as soon as she felt Hinata awaken, only to come back later to see Naruto on the same positions but with his face buried in Hinata's neck, his fingers intertwined with hers. Unsealing the camera she always had with her, she snapped a photo quietly and left giggling at the blackmail material. She giggled once more as she realized something that the camera would never be able to record; even in his sleep, Naruto's hands were slowly caressing Hinata's hand, unconsciously seeking to calm and touch his mate.

Anko had initially freaked out when Naruto and Kyubi called wives as 'mates'. An animalistic term Anko had become used to. Besides, she knew they didn't mean wife by 'legal' means, confirmed by nothing more than a piece of paper covered in ink in specific designs. Instead they referred to their soul-mate, the one person they will love above and beyond all else, no matter what. Anko felt a bit sad she hadn't felt that emotion yet, but as Kyubi said, it is both rare and hard to find your soul-mate. It is even harder to realize it in time before you loose them forever. The look on Kyubi's eyes haunted Anko for many nights, but she knew better than to inquire when it was obvious it hurt the ancient being. One thing that creeped her out however, was the glint in the giant foxes eyes when they discussed it, as if he knew something she didn't. Ah well, Anko had decided, she'll deal with it when it comes. Something about 'burning bridges when they cross them'.

Meanwhile, Haku was tending Shino, waiting patiently for him to wake up, when his parents walked in. Shibi was his son's father alright, same with Shino's mother. Both looked curiously at Haku, nearly piercing her soul with their hidden eyes. Haku, stammered an apology and quickly left the room to go to Zabuza's. It had been quite the tough time for her. She had trouble realizing her feelings for the young bug user, not knowing whether she liked him like a friend, brother or boyfriend. After all she had about as much experience with these things as Shino did, meaning next to nothing. Only when she saw him wrapped up in bandages, wires connecting him to various machines, did she realize how much she cared for him. Only when it seemed she'd loose him, did she realize she cared for him, despite his lack of experience in the romance department or his difficulty in expressing his feelings. She'd be the first to admit that he had changed a lot for her though, even if it only showed when amongst his closest friends.

In the meantime, Asuma was pacing around Kurenai's room agitated. For one, he couldn't smoke, as the Shodai's attack had scraped Kurenai's lungs, needing her to be in a completely air-clean environment. He couldn't leave her either to go outside to smoke, he was very, very concerned for her status. Second... that big, zanbatou wielding missing-nin had dropped by, not moments after Asuma had come. He seemed awefully concerned for her safety, considering how cold he usually was. He all but ignored Asuma as he spent some time in the room, asking doctors in detail about the wounds she had suffered. When Asuma made to, almost instinctively, light a cigarette, he didn't even have time to consciously put it back before Zabuza reacted.

"Red-eyes here is in serious condition. Her lungs got hit so that means no smoking. Next time you try to smoke, I'm gonna send a Suiryudan up your ass, got it? I don't give a rat's ass about how much you say you care, but if your stupid addiction to a cancer stick gives her the slightest discomfort, then its open season for your head, Konoha be damned. Am I clear? Good, now go sit over there like the good little leaflet you are and make sure nothing bad happens to her."

Asuma had to stiffle a gulp at the look of that man's face. Then he had to quell the feeling of jealousy he got. Zabuza had spent a long time around her, got to speak her with no shame, didn't have any habbits that annoyed her, even made her _laugh_ at times! Asuma felt quite angry at these facts. He had known Kurenai for a long time, flirted with her, did a lot to attract her attention, but she never really did anything more than playful flirting.

Zabuza chuckled darkly as he left Kurenai's room. He knew the truth. Kurenai did like Asuma, but she wanted to get rid of his addiction as well as see if he was serious before devoting herself to a relationship. That's why Zabuza did what he did. In truth, the damage to Kurenai's lungs had been the first to be repaired, so there was no danger of contamination by the smoke. However, Asuma didn't know that. So Zabuza made up a test to see if Asuma was serious enough about it to let him date her. The Zanbatou wielder may not have liked Kurenai _that_ way, even though he admitted she was very good looking, but she was his friend and friends look after each other. He wouldn't let her date someone who was not determined to do everything for her, he'd save her from that heartbreak.

In another large room, used as a waiting room for the friends and family of those in the hospital, Shikamaru, Chouji, Ino, Kiba, Lee and Tenten had combined several small tables and chairs making a small conference. They were all worried about the gennin and jounin that were wounded, but also had many questions. Thankfully, Chouji had brought enough snacks for the group. One thing you could never blame an Akimichi was going somewhere without food. Opening a pack of chips, Chouji began with the questions that were definitely on the three gennin's minds.

"So" "*munch* "what happened to you three?" *munch munch* "You're like completely different from before. I mean, what did you do the last month?"

Tenten chose to respond for Lee and Kiba. "Well for starters, don't eat while speaking or I'll hit you with something heavy, its disgusting. Now as for your question, its simple. We trained. From dawn till past nightfall we trained our asses off. Naruto said that we had lots of potential if we'd just grab hold of them. He was right. He, Zabuza-sensei, Anko-sensei and Kurenai-sensei helped us unlock it. Besides, if you're referring to what we did in the stadium, that's nothing compared to what we can really do. Our real skills are a secret though, I'm afraid. However we can share a few things under certain... circumstances."

Shikamaru stopped looking at the clouds outside and turned to the group. "Such as?"

"You joining us for one. Only then are we allowed to share out entire skillset, but I'm afraid it ain't that easy. You can't just up and say you're one of us. Ya need an invitation from the others, their confirmation that you have what it takes to be one of us... and most importantly, the guts to never give up, no matter what's stacked against you. That's the one thing that's gonna keep ya going against Naruto's training schedule." Kiba spoke this time.

All three gennin shook upon remembering Naruto's training regime. Tenten and Kiba out of fear, while Lee was looking forward to more of it. Sure, Lee may not be shouting about youth all the time now, but that didn't mean that his fervor and desire to train relented. If anything he was even more excited.

"Troublesome... Naruto sent me an invitation like that I guess, but I don't even know what you guys are looking for. I mean you speak like you're a separate group or something."

Lee responded this time. "Hai, that is correct Shikamaru-san. We are a group that's separate and yet one with the rest of Konoha's shinobi. We have a single goal but I'm afraid I can't share it. Only Naruto-kun and the jounin can say. It is a most youthfull goal however, one that should be everyone's goal."

This time, Ino was interested, her inner gossip queen coming to the surface. "Come on! Why can't you tell us? I mean we're all nakama right? Shouldn't you share such things with everyone? Or are you some kind of illegal group?"

Tenten laughed. "Nah we're not outside the law, Sandaime-sama knows about us, he's even given us his blessings. Heck, he IS one of us in all but name. But you're wrong Ino... we're not looking for nakama, but for tomodachi. There's a subtle difference. I suggest looking for other things than our goals though. We'll tell you when its time to join us, but you Ino probably never will at the rate you're going."

"Eh? What do you mean?"

"Quite simply, you have just about none of the things we're looking for. You have a lot of potential, that much we all recognise. But as you are, you're anything BUT using it. Until you get rid of your stupid fangirlish tendencies and decide to take being a shinobi seriously, we can't, nor do we even want, to be your tomodachi. It may sound harsh and evil, but sometimes it has to be done. You Ino, are anything but a capable kunoichi. You have nothing but your looks. No chakra, no control, no dedication, no skill, no nothing. You are only _slightly_ stronger than a civilian."

"B-but... I..." Ino was brought to tears by Tenten's harsh words. As Chouji made to stop her, Lee grabbed his hand and gave him a harsh look.

"No. She has to hear it. She has to feel it to the depth of her soul how useless she is right now." More tears came from Ino as she almost sobbed. "Do you feel it Ino? The sadness that comes from being utterly incapable of anything? The fear that you'll never be wanted or needed?" Asked Lee, drawing a positive nod. Seeing this, he gave her a wide grin.

Tenten picked up from there. "In the words of Naruto himself, once you've understood your situation, we can work from , isn't admitting your mistakes the first step to correcting yourself? All three of us have felt that at one point or another."

"Tenten's right. I've felt useless everytime I got beaten by my sis. Tenten's been looked down upon for just being female, never mind how much she practiced or how good she became, she was always considered 'lesser'. As for Lee... he's had it worst than any of us three, constantly looked down upon because he can't mould chakra. We've all felt it Ino and we didn't run from it. We dived right into that pit of despair, hit rock bottom and then we all made up our minds." Kiba continued, stopping to let Tenten finish it.

"We decided that we're not going to let it happen to us again. We decided to train harder than anyone before us. We would never be weak again. Not only for our own satisfaction of proving everyone wrong, but also for our goal."

Ino sniffled a bit as Chouji comforted her. He didn't like it either, but he knew she had to hear it. Shikamaru glanced at Ino, as the blonde kunoichi was collecting herself before speaking again.

"Troublesome, you made her cry. Might prove to be good in the end though. So, who's in this little group?"

"Sandaime-sama, Naruto, Hinata, Shino, Kurenai, Haku, Zabuza, Anko and us of course. We're thinking of adding more people, but we kind of have high standards."

"So, can you like tell us what you guys can do? I mean not the exact stuff, but what you're good at. You're completely different than you were before so I'm kind of curious."

Kiba spoke first. "I'm a short range, assassination and tracking specialist. I'm good at hiding, fighting with my chained kama, clawed gauntlets and of course Akamaru. I'm also rather good at Raiton jutsu."

Lee continued. "Because I can't mould chakra, I've focused in short range combat. I specialize in mid-combat tactics, old-school shinobi tactics and close quarter combat. I've specialized heavily on my taijutsu style, Ryuken, and my Quan Dao. Since I can't use chakra, I've found an alternative power source, making me all but immune to genjutsu as well as granting me insane physical abilities."

Tenten brought up the rear. "I'm a long range specialist, like before. I've added some genjutsu and ninjutsu to my repertoir though, just in case I need it. However, I'm also very, very good at close range combat thanks to my 'special friend'. Word of advice against me. Don't block, dodge. Otherwise I'll cut right through you, no matter the defence you've made. Lastly, I've got a series of ninjutsu attacks only I can use and even then under certain circumstances."

Lee and Kiba unconsciously rubbed a few scars they had gathered. Tenten's fighting style was _brutally_ effective.

"I... see. You've become much more troublesome. Though I guess its a good thing, fewer troublesome things for us to do."

Lee, Tenten and Kiba laughed at Shikamaru's antics. Ino decided to pipe up at that point, asking about a few of the rumours she had overheard.

"So I heard you guys, and girl and puppy, have some special names. I heard a few jounin speaking about them. I heard something about Ryu-something, Ookami and Maken. What's about that?"

Kiba laughed deeply. "That's us. I'm Ikazuchi no Ookami, Tenten's Maken no Tenten and Lee's nickname is Ryushin. When amongst each other, we started calling ourselves that. You know, makes us sound more badass. I guess we just started calling each other than due to Zabuza's nicknames for everyone."

"So what do they mean? I mean why did you get them?" Ino inquired.

Lee spoke first. "I got mine from my fighting style, Ryuken. I didn't even like the name at the begining, but Naruto-kun thought it sounded cool and it kind of stuck. It's a unique fighting style that noone except me can use. Anyway, I was just practicing my techniques, namely my Ryu Shippou when Naruto and Hinata got the idea. Hinata-san said that she sees a dragon coil itself around me when I perform certain moves and said that I look like some sort of Dragon God when I get angry. Ryushin is so much better than Ryu no Kami, though I'd prefer a subtler one. I'm still not used to the amount of power and attention I got."

Kiba spoke up next. "Mine comes from my fighting style as well. It's called Rai Ookami and I use my gauntlets, Rairou Tsume, or my chained kama, Rairou Shippou, after covering them with electricity. Also, since most of my jutsu take on the shape of a wolf, it was quite obvious. So I became, Ikazuchi no Ookami, the hunter to never miss his prey."

Tenten finished it. "I got mine thanks to my 'special friend'. I'm afraid I can't discuss it freely yet, but all I can say, is that it's spot on. Soon though, I hope I won't have to cover it any longer."

Shikamaru sighed. Tenten's words still echo'ed in his mind. What would he have done if his friends had been in danger? He would have fought obviously. But that fight showed to him, that sometimes, smarts won't cut it. Sometimes, it isn't a matter of strategy, but of resources. So, he'd need more resources. It was quite the revelation for the young Nara.

However, Ino wasn't paying attention to Shikamaru. Seeing her chance at making the three gennin open up and share more delicious gossip, she kept on.

"So what about the others? I mean, they should have nicknames too right?"

"Well, yeah, but you'll have to ask them. It's kind of a personal decision whether we reveal them. The three of us don't really care, but the others don't want them getting out this soon. I would suggest not demanding them though. Naruto can be... paranoid sometimes. Kind of natural with all the shit he got through in his life, but don't judge him too harshly. He might seem carefree and normal, but he's really been through a lot of shit. Never betray him or he'll have to wait in line to destroy you. Everyone in this group is more than just a bit loyal to everyone else. What hurts one of us, hurts us all. Besides, if you hurt Naruto, it isn't us you should be afraid of. Its Hinata. Damn that girl can be scary when pissed off." Kiba shivered in fear. He had seen the fight between Anko and Hinata... He wasn't someone you could scare easily, but Hinata did.

Ino was a bit disappointed, but the discussion continued in light tones. Shikamaru was able to approximate the position of the headquarters by making strategical questions. It was a few hours later than Asuma walked out to see his team in deep conversation and thought.

Team 10 had a lot to think about. Speaking with the others, they found out that the world isn't a kind place. Its a harsh, harsh world, where your best friend, your lover, your child could be murdered in cold blood because of a perceived insult or worldly possessions. As the group left with their sensei, they were all thinking. Chouji remembered what Lee had told him.

_Flashback-_

_"Chouji-san, I know you hate the f-word, but I'm afraid it is quite close to the truth. However, I'm not saying it as an insult, but rather a characteristic you possess. You consume food constantly for your clan's techniques, but is it really the only way? Kiba-kun knows a lot of clan techniques, but hasn't limited himself to them. He has branched out and has become all the better person for it. If you want a piece of advice, start excercising. As much as possible. If you are that strong with just the chakra stored as excess fat, imagine how much more powerful you will be if you excercise as well! Clan techniques are most assuredly strong, but there is always a counter for everything. What if for some reason you can't use them as effectively? What if because of that your friends get hurt? Shouldn't you learn something else as well? You will only become stronger, more capable of protecting your friends and family. Do you understand?"_

_-End Flashback_

Since these words, Chouji had been rather silent. What if Lee was right? He saw a few seconds of Kiba in action. He was awe-inspiring. A stark difference to what he was a month ago. If Kiba got that strong because he branched out, shouldn't Chouji also do it? Besides, few things are more important than food to an Akimichi, and that's friends and family. For a second he imagined Ino and Shikamaru dead because he wasn't strong enough, because he was too focused on his clan abilities. When Chouji's eyes opened again, a fire burned inside, low but noticeable.

Ino had been on the same boat as Chouji. She always thought that Sasuke would be there to save her. However, her recent crossing with war showed her how naive she really was. How flawed she was. She had always compared herself to other fangirls like Sakura, never coming in contact with a serious kunoichi like Tenten. After all, whenever her father brought someone like that home, Ino would huff and pout saying that her Sasuke-kun would protect her, before running up to her room to look at Sasuke's photos. Tenten was completely different, she was gracefull, strong, determined and beautifull. She had it all. Maybe if she took her advice, she could also become like that?

Turning to her sensei, Ino asked him a question who's answer she dreaded. "Neh, sensei... how good do you think I am as a kunoichi? Please say the truth."

Asuma sighed and looked at her in the eye. He didn't want to do this, but there was no choice. "Quite frankly... your only capability is your looks and you're too young to use that. As you are now, the only thing you could be good at would be seduction... or used as a whore to milk secrets. Your reserves are non-existent and your control not nearly as high as it should be. Your taijutsu is just as non-existent and don't get me started on weapons. In truth, I took this team in hopes that Inoichi-san wouldn't have allowed a fangirl as a daughter but I was mistaken. Your worth to the ninja ranks is near zero. Even in seduction arts, Tenten has a better chance... Heck she even used seduction as a distraction in the midst of combat."

Ino's ideal of herself was shattered irrepairably. She was the weakest, most useless kunoichi ever according to her sensei. Correction, _second_ most useless. She still had better looks than Sakura. Or so she told herself. At least Sakura had something unique on her, even if she considered large foreheads ugly. Without a word, Ino walked slowly home, looking around at the destroyed buildings all around Konoha. She was going to have a long overdue conversation with her father.

Next to Asuma, Shikamaru walked lazely, his apparent boredom hiding his mind. They were right, his only strength was intelligence. He would still need the resources to use with that intelligence. Something that he didn't have. So, he'd have to acquire them. In order for that to happen, Shikamaru would have to work and train hard. He would be unable to slack around and nap any longer. Then again, he asked the logical question; could he still slack around if that's exactly what would cause his friend's deaths? As troublesome as it was, Shikamaru needed to train and train hard, overcome the years of laziness. He knew he'd probably never be as strong as Lee or as destructive as Naruto, but he didn't have to. His specialty wasn't combat, but intelligence, like Shino. The lazy Nara gennin sighed in dismay, this was going to be a very, very troublesome decision, no matter what choice he made. Then he smirked. If it's gonna be troublesome, might as well pick the most troublesome. Something about 'if you do something, at least do it well'.

All three gennin had a lot to think about for the next few days and even more to discuss. The truth of the situation fell heavy on their shoulders, the real world revealed in a way they wish they never had to witness.

In another building, Sandaime was looking at Kakashi from behind his office.

"Why are you here Kakashi?"

The copy-nin looked at Sarutobi sadly. "Its... Kami, I don't even know how or where to start... Guess I'll start from the beggining... Hokage-sama, you know that I never hated Naruto. I didn't like him, but never really hated him. If anything, I didn't come in contact with him because I thought he was a risk. Don't get me wrong, I trust Minato-sensei's seal, but after what happened five years ago... it was dangerous. Maybe my paranoia took things a little too far, but I never hated him. Didn't trust him maybe, didn't like him yes, but I never hated him for what he was. If anything, I know very well the burden that was placed on him. I just want you to know that, even if I acted irrationally to him, I never really knew of the extent of Minato-sensei's seal. Heck I didn't even know that Shinigami-sama made it. So I have to apologize to both him and you for my previous shameful actions."

Taking in a deep breath to stabilize himself Kakashi continued. "I also wish to apologize for my irrational and unprofessional behaviour that led to me not teaching my other two students, except Sasuke, anything other than tree-walking. I can not, neither will I try, to justify my actions. I just... I just thought Sasuke would be like me. Quiet, brooding, skilled... a prodigy. Seems he's all that, but without any loyalty to the Leaf. He's also mentally unstable, something that is partially my fault, as my blindness to my deceased team-mate caused me to ignore this."

"Because of these reasons... I accept the need to be punished in any way you see fit Hokage-sama. However..." Kakashi fell into a deep bow before his leader. "please... please don't take me away from my team. I... I don't know what I'll do without them. I just recently came to bond with someone other than myself... If... if I loose them, I don't know what I'll do. Also... I'm possibly the best suited to teaching them. They have, or had at least, some small respect for me. Please, let me make up for my past mistakes, don't take me away from my team..."

Sandaime stood up and looked outside. "Kakashi... do you seriously think I'm a senile old man?" Not waiting for an answer, the old man continued. "I am not as foolish or rash as you think. Also, I do understand your troubles, seeing as I had made the same mistakes once and am still paying for them. However... you will be demoted to chuunin and loose command of cell seven."

Kakashi's head snapped up so fast it might have given him a whiplash. "But... Hokage-sama... I..."

"Enough Kakashi. There's a reason I do this. Other than your recent failure with your team, you still remain one of Konoha's most valuable and loyal shinobi. Do you honestly think I'd do something like that without thinking about if before? I may play the senile, weak old man, but I assure you, I can still outsmart a Nara in strategy. This is one such case. So, tell me Kakashi, what do you know of a Black Ops operation?"

Kakashi just blinked before getting up quickly, recomposing himself in seconds, just as he was taught to do. "By your command Hokage-sama."

"Kakashi, as I said there's a reason for your demotion. Now here it is. For years, a council member named Danzou has been building his own forces of shinobi within Konoha. He either kidnaps or entices other shinobi to join him for power or money. He then proceeds to brainwash them, stripping them their memories and emotions away. That is your new assignment. You are to infiltrate this organisation, code-named ROOT. Due to your recent demotion, you will be depressed and overrun by grief and hate for the Hokage. Look for this organization. We know it exists but it is too secretive, too well-hidden to leave outside evidence. I want you to be our inside man. Infiltrate it and get us the info and evidence needed to execute that bastard. I'll admit his ROOT have done an admiral job in handling delicate cases, but no matter how useful, a parasite is a parasite. This is your new assignment Kakashi, a most delicate one."

Kakashi realized then just what leader he was following. He caught two birds with one stone. He both did punish Kakashi for being foolish, but also managed to manouevre the situation to take out yet another enemy. Smiling, once again realizing that the God of Shinobi was back amongst them, Kakashi bowed deeply. "Hai Hokage-sama, I will do my best. This conversation never happened. But please, tell me of my gennin, well my previous gennin."

Sandaime smiled. "The team won't be changed. As much as I would like to imprison Sasuke at the moment, the time isn't right. However, they'll need a sensei and I have just the man for the job. Or well... pair for the job." Sandaime's eyes glinted evilly, making Kakashi cringe in sympathy to his gennin. "Their new senseis are... Zabuza and Anko."

Kakashi gaped. Who thought the grandfatherly old man could be so twisted. Again he came on top of the situation. He made sure not only the team would be treated properly, but Zabuza and Anko would get rid of Sakura's fangirlish tendencies as well as act fairly to Sasuke. Not to mention, Kiba would get proper teaching, not that he needed them as Kakashi recalled. Kakashi also made a mental note to leave a few Raiton scrolls for his student. After all, Kakashi was Konoha's best lightning user. Once again Kakashi bowed to the aged Kage. Without another word, he departed in a quick shunshin.

In the office, Sandaime chuckled. Payback time.

It was a few days later that the funeral for the deceased shinobi and civilians was held. Konoha had gathered to bid them farewell one last time in one large ceremony. Everyone had shown up dressed in black to express their sympathies. Or well, almost everyone, as some people made their lack of presence noticeable. Top amongst them was Uchiha Sasuke because, as he said, he didn't have time for sentimental foolishness and had to train. Many people wept that day, but Sarutobi's speech reminded them that they were still alive, that life still went on. He also made sure to make a public announcement of Uzumaki-Namikaze Naruto's, Hyuga Hinata's, Mitarashi-Namikaze Anko's, Momochi Zabuza's, Yuuhi Kurenai's and Aburame Shino's role in fighting off the villain responcible for the situation.

After the funeral, many made a note to apologize to Naruto for their actions. However, due to the fact that most did it because of his father, Naruto simply flipped them off. The others were given a cold, piercing look, but other than that Naruto forgave them. As he had stated in the stadium, he had long since forgiven them for hating him because of his burden. When some asked, Naruto answered that, he'd hate the container too, if he wasn't the one. He also gave them a fair warning; to not let their lack of knowledge become fear and hate, lest their actions bring about their own doom.

Kakashi also found the time to speak with the group of gennin that had turned the surprise attack into a triumph. Seeing them sitting around a large table in the Namikaze clan estates with massive orders of ramen, cinamon buns, barbeque and dango, he waved at them. Naruto looked at them man coldly, as did Kiba.

"Err... I'm not really good at this stuff so I'll say it the way it comes. I apologize for my previous actions towards you Naruto, as well as you Kiba. I was a fool, blinded by my past. I honestly never hated you Naruto, but I thought you were a risk, especially after what happened that night, five years ago. As for you Kiba, I really have no excuse. I should have trained you better, instead of focusing on Sasuke. Anyway, I know when I have overstayed my welcome, so I'm going to leave. Oh, before I forget, this is for you Kiba, some Raiton scrolls. Thought you might wanna have a look at them, I've already memorized them." Kakashi threw a bunch of scrolls at Kiba, who snatched them from the air. Then he turned around to leave.

Hinata looked pointedly at Naruto. The blonde jinchuuriki sighed before calling out to Kakashi. "Oi Kakashi, since your house is in the other side of Konoha, have a drink with us before you leave."

Kakashi turned around with his patented eye-smile. "You know what, I think I will. Thank you Naruto."

The group ate and drunk and had fun late into the wee hours. Seeing as the estates were large enough, Naruto simply decided to let them all bunk in the house, instead of forcing them to leave. While the Namikaze clan estates weren't as large as the Hyuga, there were quite a few differences. From the outside fence providing powerful defences thanks to Minato's seals, to the large plant-covered yard, to the outside training grounds, to the three stories high building, to the two underground levels, it was a building that showed what it was made for; a clan.

Naruto's clones worked tirelessly to restore the house to its former glory, cleaning the outside yard, planting new seeds, cataloguing the library, mapping out and cleaning the house, re-inforcing its defences. An underground floor had been turned to a jutsu and information vault, securing things that were not meant for other people's eyes. The other underground floor was turned into a dojo/armory combination, reinforced with multiple seals ensuring not only safety, but also privacy. Some clones even began working on making a second building, a forge, for the clan's and its allie's needs. Tenten squealed when she heard of the forge. Her parents were smiths since forever, an art she also found peace in.

Naruto himself didn't sleep much that night. He was outside gazing at the full moon, his thoughts on the people that died that day. It had served as a painful reminder of his own fate, his own eventual loneliness. Anko slowly crept behind her little brother.

"So what's on your head otouto?"

"Hey there sis. Not much... just..." *sigh* "What Neji said may be true for me after all..."

"Eh? What do you mean?"

"Nee-chan... there's something only I and jiji know right now. Its that... I can't die nee-chan."

"Bah, give me a few more months and I'll show you 'not die' gaki."

"Nee-chan I'm serious. I...I can't die. Wounds can kill me, sure, but you know how fast I heal. The problem is... I will never age. I... I have become immortal nee-chan... I will never grow old or die from age."

Anko looked at Naruto weird. "Gaki, that's something most people would sacrifice everything for, heck some _have_. What's killing ya little bro?"

"Loneliness Anko,that's what. Hinata-chan will grow old and die. My children will grow old and die. My grandchildren will grow old and die. And still, I'll be here, dragging my cursed being across this earth..."

Anko just looked at her little brother, realizing the pain he must be in, the confusion and most importantly, fear. "I wouldn't worry about that otouto. You'll find a way, I know you will. Now come on, Hinata _-chan_ must be getting all cold and lonely." Anko finished with a lecherous grin. At least she managed to divert Naruto's thoughts from his current predicament. Seeing him disappear back into the building, Anko took his place on the ground and stared at the moon.

"What are we going to do about this? Huh Kyubi?"

The great fox didn't have an answer at that time.

Some days later, Sandaime called Naruto to his office, saying he got a new solo mission. Upon entering, Naruto saw Jiraiya waiting for him. Sandaime stood from his chair and looked outside the window.

"Good, both of you are here. Now Naruto, I have a mission for you and Jiraiya. You are to leave the village in search of a replacement for me."

Naruto's eyes widened in surprise.

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**A/N: Another chappied done, just for your enjoyment. Well I hope it answered some questions you had on previous chapters. I've probably said it before, but everything that happens has a reason behind it. Good or evil, actions are affected by reasons.**

**Also yes, Kakashi apologized. I don't think him to be a big baby to the point he doesn't realize when he's fucked up royally, though I can't help but question it at times. Seriously, why did Kakashi have to Chidori Kakuzu's heart and not his head? Like, seriously... Anyway, I'll avoid ranting about that point, but I will rant about the newest chapter in the manga. DAMN YOU KISHIMOTO! This guy has royally fucked up the series. I mean seriously, what the hell is up with this dude? Danzou has implanted two bloodlines within himself and Sasu-gay powers up every chapter. Instead we have Naruto that can't stop sobbing and hyperventilating about a bastard that almost ripped out his heart. I mean what the fuck? If bloodlines are so easy to transfer, why didn't Tsunade or Jiraiya transfer a couple of them into Naruto? Like Mokuton so he can handle Kyubi? Or something else that would help him. Instead we got shit on the hero, not to mention the fact that he has all but ignored Hinata's declaration since it was first published. Whatever Kishi-teme...  
**

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**Today, on this 9/6/2012, I, Soulblazer87, do hereby leave this site, possibly forever.**

**I shall not update this, or any other story.**

**I shall leave them on, however. Should you desire to follow my stories, do so in my new site of residence: www dot yourfanfiction dot com.**


	21. Chapter 21

_Chapter 21: Fox and Raven, Weasel and Shark_

Naruto and Jiraiya blinked. Naruto did more than that quickly. "What the heck are you talking about Jiji? Who's going to be your replacement? And why do I have to travel with ero-sennin over here? I've got some class you know!"

Ignoring Jiraiya's complaint about the nickname, Sarutobi turned to the both of them sadly. "Naruto-kun, you should know better than anyone that I am very old. I was never meant to take the mantle a second time. I may not be senile, but my strength has lessened over time. I'm not sad about it, but it is a fact. So, we need a replacement. Knowing how free Jiraiya-chan's spirit is, and due to the fact that he'd be castrated for peeping if he became Hokage, I have selected someone else."

Jiraiya's eyes widened a bit as he realized who the old man was talking about. "So you want us to bring _her_ back right? Even though you know how much she hates this place?"

The aged Kage nodded. "Yes. I know how much she hates Konoha, a hate that isn't entirely unfounded. However, deep under the layers of sadness and hate, Tsunade has always been Tsunade. She just needs to realize it. I believe Naruto-kun here will help in that regard. After all, they have almost the same behaviour don't they? Especially when it comes to perverts."

Jiraiya gulped as he remembered what Naruto had done to him when he found Jiraiya peeping in his 'Hinata-time'. The sennin could barely move for the next day, until Hinata and Haku healed him. Oh he had learned his lesson alright, never, ever piss off the blonde war machine.

Naruto sighed. He didn't like it, but his ji-san asked him to, so he'd deliver. "Hai jiji. But you're gonna be the one to tell Hina-chan how long I'm gonna be away." Naruto smirked as Sarutobi paled. Seeing his mentor go white in the face, Jiraiya laughed loudly, knowing that he wasn't the only one to fear the lavender eyed kunoichi. At least Naruto thought, Hinata, Haku and Tenten would get their idol.

Before Naruto and Jiraiya had time to leave, someone knocked on the door. Sandaime let the person in, revealing a messenger nin (usually academy dropouts who however managed to learn how to move at high speeds and defend themselves adequately, they are used to transfer important messages from one place to another, they have sworn several oaths and carry several seals that ensure the safety of the messages they transport).

"The council requests your presence Hokage-sama. Uzumaki-Namikaze-sama's presence is requested as well. They wish to discuss several things about the new developments with you. Uzumaki-Namikaze-sama, do you know where Higurashi Tenten is located? She has managed to avoid detection so far." Spoke the messenger nin. Naruto cursed as he could very easily tell why he was being summoned by the council.

Sarutobi dismissed the messenger and turned to Naruto, his face grim. "Naruto-kun, it seems the council requests us. We all know why. What are you going to do?"

"Depends jiji... On how much they push, 'cause I'm more than willing to shove. Now to get Tenten." Naruto bit his thumb, drawing a bit of blood. Making some handseals, he called out his jutsu. **"Kuchiyose no Jutsu!"**

POOF! A medium sized, grey-colored fox appeared. It bowed in respect to the three in front of it and spoke to Naruto. **"Naruto-sama, I have a message for you. Shizukani Taiyo-sama wishes to be summoned here at a time of your convenience. Preferably at a safe location. What are your orders sir?"**

Naruto nodded affirmatively and spoke to the fox. "I want you to go and look for Higurashi Tenten. She is located in the Headquarters of my team. You should be able to follow my scent there, as I stay there most of the time now. Do not ask random people and stay out of sight. This place doesn't have any form of love towards Kitsune. Alternatively go and look for Anko, she would also be able to take you to Tenten."

The fox nodded and left quickly, its grey fur apparently changing colors to match that of the background. Naruto, Jiraiya and Sarutobi stalled a bit, giving the fox some time to track the gennin down. After some minutes passed in quiet conversation, the group decided to get the meeting over with.

Naruto, Jiraiya and Sarutobi walked inside the chamber reserved for the councils of Konoha. The entire civilian council was already assembled while the shinobi part had only recently been notified as it seems. Damn the council and their stupid plays at power, Sarutobi, Naruto and Jiraiya cursed. A fat, pig-looking man stepped forward.

"Now the councils are in session and the civilian council would-"

"Denied. The councils are not in session. Only half the shinobi council has been assembled. Therefore we shall wait for the rest." Sarutobi's stern voice admonished the council member.

The civilians grumbled about it and began stating they had other important things to do than wait. Sarutobi hit the desk with enough strength to crack it. That shut them up _very_ quickly.

"We shall wait. I have a few inclinations about the matters you wish to bring to my attention, but we will wait for everyone. After all it isn't any day that three seats are handed now is it?" Again the blessed silence. Not for long of course as the civilian council exploded with requests and questions. Naruto, having had enough, changed his vocal cords to a more bestial and demonic vibe.

**"SILENCE!"**

The very walls seemed to shake with power and the shinobi council smirked as the civilians shut up and sat down. Sarutobi continued. "As I was saying before you, so rudely, interrupted, there will be three council seats be handed today. Now, please be as intelligent as to shut up and wait." 'Though I doubt you actually _are_ that intelligent' Thought the aged Hokage.

It took several minutes for the entire council to be gathered. As the pig-looking council member tried to get up and speak, Sarutobi took the opportunity to introduce some changes to the political balances.

"I believe that the entire Shinobi council was at the Chuunin Exams correct? Then you are all aware that Naruto-kun here has claimed to be Namikaze Minato's and Uzumaki Kushina's son. I took the liberty of matching their blood and it seems that it is in fact true. Therefore, there is no point in discussing whether Naruto-kun here will be given his inheritance. It has already been done. Of the Shinobi council, who is in favour of Naruto-kun inheriting his rightful place in the council?"

Most shinobi clan heads raised their hands. Naruto proved beyond the shadow of a doubt that he was loyal, at the very least to the Hokage and therefore by extension to Konoha, while some chose to oppose so as to keep the balance intact. Sarutobi smirked as the civilians exploded in rage and fury.

"Silence or I'll kick you out." The civilians shut up again, knowing that pissing off the Hokage at that time would be very foolish. They could all recognize hostile emotions when they saw them and he only seemed to have that when looking at them. "The Namikaze and Uzumaki clans have always been shinobi clans so I don't see a reason why the _civilians_ would get a say in this. It is after all a _shinobi_ matter, just as many things are civilian matters as you have been so kind at pointing out to meddling old fools like myself. Now shut up. Now, as the Shinobi council decided, Naruto-kun here gets the Namikaze clan's seat by virtue of parenthood. He also gains the Uzumaki clan seat by virtue of parenthood. Naruto-kun, you may be seated."

Naruto nodded gratefully and went to sit down. The most politically involved were already making plans on how to affect Naruto. After all he had gone from being the jinchuuriki and bastard son of a Kage to the jinchuuriki and legitimate son of a Kage with an insanely powerful Kekkei-Genkai and two seats in the council. Betting time over, thank you for participating.

Sarutobi smirked some more as he felt a familiar pair of chakra signals approach. Taking a deep breath he continued. "Now, Mitarashi Anko-san has also proven beyond the shadow of a doubt that she is a most loyal kunoichi of Konoha as well as possess a powerful kekkei-genkai of her own. Any of the shinobi council wishes to refuse Mitarashi Anko her seat in the council?" Seeing as there were not enough people refusing her her seat, Sarutobi smiled evilly. "Very well. Then Mitarashi-Namikaze Anko now has the Mitarashi clan seat in the Shinobi council."

The announcement caused many reactions as it was completely unexpected. Naruto stood up. "Shut up or I'll let my nee-chan kick your asses. Yes, Anko is my sister since I have adopted her into my clan. Since I am legally an adult, there's absolutely no law forbidding it. During her... initiation, she was freed of the cursed seal of Orochimaru, breaking any and all possible, imaginable and unimaginable links that could or would lead Orochimaru to her. During that time, she has also acquired a Kekkei-Genkai, similar to mine but slightly weaker and with different focus. Since it isn't the exact same, it is a different clan's power, therefore she gets another seat. Now shut up for Kami's sake."

Meanwhile, Anko walked in and sat right next to Naruto, high-fiving him. Strike two for the shinobi.

Sarutobi and several shinobi clan heads smirked. Things were changing. The Hokage sat down. "_Now_, you may speak council member. What were you going to bring to our collective attention. I suggest you make haste as we all have more important things." Then man looked at a few people for assurance. Sandaime noticed that Homura, Koharu and Danzou were amongst them. 'Oh great' thought the old Shinobi. The meddlers three.

The man made his way to the center of the room before taking a deep breath. "It is not one, but several things that have come to our attention. Such as Namikaze-sama's heritage. While we do trust your decision and applaud your haste in determining the truth, we do not trust the Shinobi hospital. We propose to perform the test in an institution of our choosing that-"

"Denied. It has already been done. Besides, if he _isn't_ the clan heir, I will have you surrender to him your entire assets, within _and_ without this village as reparations and then throw you to jail to rot. Move on." Sarutobi's cold voice cut the man like a white-hot poker through a ball of snow.

The man continued, trying in vain to save some face. "Ahem, yes. Well accepting the fact that he is the Namikaze heir, we have also found out several things. Amongst them the ability to creat high-grade weaponry by virtue of sealings. We know this to be true, so we have decided to confiscate these weapons and hand them over to Danzou-sama for investigation and analysis. If he cannot-"

"Fuck you. These weapons are _mine_ and _mine alone_. I will NOT surrender them, especially to that cripple over there. If you're thinking of analyzing and copying my seals for-fucking-get it. I have used my _father's_ techniques to conceal the seals. Neither will I make a weapon for pathetic jackasses like you. I made them because I wanted to. You try to force me and what Itachi did to his clan will seem like a children's show compared to what I'll do to the lot of you fuck-ups. Clear?" Naruto's cold voice made even the ANBU shiver.

Several council members seemed ready to jump up and accuse him of foul language and blackmail, but remembering that Naruto actually _can_ do what he threatened to do and knowing he won't hesitate to, they swallowed it. "Still, these weapons should-"

"I said fuck you. Don't you undestand 'fuck' or 'you'? Try to take them, I dare you. Do it and I'll release Kyubi and to hell with the concequences. Got it now?"

The man gulped. He was unused to the amount of KI Naruto had been unleashing. "W-well then moving on, I bring to the council, the matter of one Higurashi Tenten, also named Maken no Tenten." Naruto, Anko, Jiraiya and Sarutobi cursed. It was time for their strategy to be tested. In the meantime, an ANBU entered, Tenten following him. Sarutobi narrowed his eyes. ANBU were his and his troops alone, since when did the council have command over them?

Tenten stood in front of the council in her previous attire. However, one thing was different. She had suspected the reason she would be summoned and released the henge covering her chakra coils as well as unseal Muramasa. The demonic sword was pulsating with barely restrained bloodlust.

The man spoke then and made Tenten almost gag at disgust. "Maken no Tenten, you have been summoned her to question several things as well as decide your fate. This sword, is it or is it not associated with Kyubi?"

Tenten gave him an absolutely feral smirk before replying. "I dunno is it? Would you like me to draw and display the blade for all to see?" Her hand slowly approached the hilt. When it reached it, her hand almost _caressed_ the hilt, begging them to say 'yes'.

"Just answer the question. Is this sword's power associated with Kyubi?"

Tenten's smirk widened. "In exactly the same way as the Sharingan is." Enjoying the surprised faces. "What you didn't know? The Sharingan comes directly from the Kyubi. That's what makes them all so insane you know. Of course Sasuke-san must be an exeption. After all, using Inuzuka Kiba, his own _teammate,_ as a shield to protect himself isn't insanity. Merely cowardice." Most of the Shinobi council looked disgusted. Only two didn't. Hiashi and... Tsume. Tsume instead had such a look of fury it would make Kyubi look cute and cuddly.

_**"Niiice... I like that dog woman. Can you introduce her to me?"**_ Asked Kyubi through the mindlink. Anko and Naruto half-groaned, half-chuckled. However, Naruto sobbered up quickly. It had served as a reminder that he needed to get back down to forming a body for Kyubi.

The council was in the meantime trying to get things back on track. Tenten decided to save them from further humiliation. "Yeah yeah I admit it. Muramasa has a link to Kyubi. It is a one-of-a-time event however. Muramasa here has the power to take chakra and make youkai out of it. However, things aren't as simple as that. To use Muramasa, you have to pass several physical and psychological tests. I have sworn to secrecy about them so I will not share them no matter what you say or _attempt_ to do. Besides, if Sasuke tries to take Muramasa by force, directly or indirectly, Muramasa will reject him. If that happens... well you don't want to see that happen."

A council member got up. "How dare you! That sword of yours should be given to Uchiha-sama! You _will_ give that sword to-" The man was interrupted by Tenten's sword poking gently at his neck, an aura of youkai around the blade.

"You... will not... refer to Muramasa as 'that sword' again. Do it and I promise I'll kill you. Understood? Muramasa has a name and you _will _use it." Tenten's aura remained until Naruto got up, walked to her and placed his hand on her shoulder, calming her down. The trail of blood however would remain there for sometime. Muramasa laughed evilly inside. It was one of the powers he had inherited from his 'father', Kyubi. If that man spoke in such a tone about him or his wielder again, Tenten could just will the youkai to explode, killing the idiot.

After calming themselves down, the previous council member chose to speak again. "What ever that sw- excuse me, I mean _Muramasa_ has told you, it should be either given up for inspection or to Uchiha-sama. Besides, if someone like you managed to pass the sword's tests, Uchiha-sama will find it extremely easy."

Naruto laughed. "You make it sound as if the Sharingan or the name of a long dead family matters to a sword. Trust me, neither does. Muramasa cares for very few things that you could understand and, from what I've gathered through my talks with Tenten-san here, he seriously hates copycats. According to him 'they have no pride'. The Uchiha's Sharingan won't save him this time."

The council grumbled. Danzou found the opportunity to speak. "Obviously, Higurashi-san here must be a very powerful person to be able to master a sword as obviously powerful as Muramasa. To that end, I propose that she receives extra training from me. After all, I have trained several powerfull shinobi over the years..."

Tenten cut him off. "Not in your wettest dream you damn pedophile. You don't want me, just my ability to control Muramasa. If possible just Muramasa. Unfortunately for you, that ain't happening so you want to get both Shinobi and sword at the same time. I can see it all in your eyes... excuse me, _eye_."

Naruto chuckled. "The fact remains that Tenten here won't be separated from her sword. No use discussing it further. Now is she free to go?"

Homura got up. "I am afraid not. Tenten-san has displayed a secondary chakra coil system as testified by Hyuga-sama here." He pointed at Hiashi, causing Naruto, Anko, Jiraiya and Sarutobi to growl threateningly towards him. "Therefore, I believe that the council should push for Tenten's betrothal to Uchiha-sama. He is the last of his clan and can have several wives of his choosing, overriding any and all previous engagements, as long as they have something they can give to the clan. As the last heir of one of the two building clans of the village he retains that right."

Naruto spoke in a harsh tone. "Actually he doesn't in this case. Tenten is a retainer of my clan_s_" Noone could miss the plural in that word. "and therefore outside his reach. Same with her sword, it is a Namikaze clan relic, not for sale. In other words, if he wishes to have Tenten-san as his wife and I object, which trust me I do, he would have to face me in single combat. A combat in which, trust me again, I shall not hesitate to kill him. Of course, he might wish to fight Tenten-san, but knowing how powerful Muramasa is, I doubt you'd like him to do exactly that. After all Sasuke-san can barely fight against a jounin, but as many _ANBU_ would testify, Tenten-san killed several beast-men _and_ the jounin supporting them, all in one fell swoop. Not to forget that she, only minutes later mind you, destroyed one of the three summoned snakes at the gates, in front of many witnesses. The choice... is yours." Naruto smirked.

The civilians had pulled back to discuss several things. Hyuga Hiashi, Homura, Koharu and Danzou were gazing at Naruto, sizing him up. When the council had finished, they walked forward again. One of them, seemingly the bravest, or most foolish one, decided to speak. "Tenten-san will not be betrothed to anyone at this time, however we reserve the right to do so in the fut-"

"No. Attempt to control her again and I shall kill the first bastard to suggest it. The next asshole to suggest it will _wish_I killed him. You have no right. Period."

The man looked in Naruto's cold eyes and realized that they couldn't control him. Not now, not ever. Not that way at least. His greed however, overrode his logic at that point as he kept on speaking. "Watch your words child or you could be arrested for high treason."

At that point Anko laughed and asked him something logical. "And how the blazing hells do you fools think to keep him imprisoned? Brat's as fast as Oro-teme, as strong as Tsunade and almost every Katana would shatter on his body. Add an insane Kekkei-genkai and a demon at his side... You sure you wanna say such things?"

The man gulped but continued. "All things considered, Uzumaki-Namikaze Naruto, you fall under the effects of the C.R.A. and shall be betrothed to several young women chosen by this council."

Naruto twitched and Kyubi laughed evilly inside. Nara Shikaku opened his eyes and looked intently. This was going to be a show he wouldn't miss even for 10 minutes of sleep. Naruto growled at the council. "Care to pass that by me one more time? I don't think I heard you well."

"I said. You will be betrothed to several young women chosen by this council. Such as the daughter of the Haruno family, seeing as they are wealthy merchants and would help restore your clan or the Yamanaka clan's heir, whose powers would reinforce your kekkei genkai's."

Naruto was twitching imperceptibly. They didn't... they just didn't...

Hiashi stood up now. "I also propose that you marry my daughter Hanabi. With Hinata being delegated to the secondary branch, Hanabi will be heir to the clan. You should feel honored Naruto. After all you are going to be married to the head of the Hyuga clan, the most powerful clan in Konoha. Be thankful that your limited clan will be united with the might of the Hyuga clan."

Anko had began counting down. '5...4...3...2...1... Ignition...'

Naruto growled. "I refuse to betray Hinata-chan."

Then a council woman did something suicidal. "You don't have a choice demon spawn. You will do as we say and obey our commands like the weapon you are!"

**ROAAAR!**

Everyone shut up and held their breath, in fear or anticipation. Naruto's form rippled and there was a sound of cloth ripped apart. Two segmented tails erupted from behind Naruto as his eyes became feline and blood red. Muscles bulged and arms became long, curved wicked blades. More sound of ripped cloth and Naruto's form was covered in a black shiny carapace. Two positively _evil_ lights flickered where his eyes should be. Demonic power surged through the warrior, strengthening his muscles, countering the armor's weight. Another roar and Naruto's arm-blade slammed on the marble table, shattering it to pieces. From the inside of the blade's curve, a hand formed, covered in the same black armor, complete with talons. Spikes erupted from the demonic-looking armor. Naruto moved with dazzling speed, lifted the council woman like nothing more than a piece of plastic.

**"I will NOT be your pet fool. Not now, not ever. I will not betray Hinata or my friends. Attempt something like this again and your lives ARE MINE!"**

Chakra flared from Naruto's palm and she was thrown _through_ a wall by the force of the explosion.

**"Anyone else want to disagree? Good, now get your asses out of here. As for you Hiashi... you murdering monster... you who has only hatred in his blackened heart, you think that Hinata is responcible for Hitomi-san's death? Fool! It is you and your reluctance to go against the elders that poisoned her! They poisoned her out of fear and hate! Because she cared! Begone from my sight Hiashi! I shall free Hinata's and Hanabi's family and you will see the error of your ways not a day before your deathbed!"**

Naruto took a few calming breaths before reverting to his normal form. To many people's amazement, the clothes seemed to repair themselves on their own. Naruto went to sit back down on his seat, his feet crushing the shattered remains of the marble table. Sarutobi chuckled audibly before speaking. "Now that this is taken care of and in accordance of the arrogance you revealed, I think it's time for some punishment. The civilian council is therefore relieved of all the rights and responcibilities granted from my time of re-instatement to this day. Which, I think, means that you no longer exist. Ah-ah-ah! If you complain, my loyal ANBU here will have to take action. Oh and I took the liberty of checking every action you took these last few years. Seems like most of you had stolen quite the sum of money as well as illegally attempt to control _my_ shinobi. I will decide on your punishment later, and damn am I going to love it!"

The council resisted being evacuated, but when Naruto growled threateningly and his claws began forming, they reconsidered and left in a hurry. Homura, Koharu and Danzou looked ready to disagree, but they knew when to cut their losses. Nara Shikaku went back to sleep, his fun time over. Inuzuka Tsume cleared her throat and spoke. "Well good riddance to them, but Naruto-san, could you tell us more of your kekkei-genkai? We are all quite intrigued by it."

Naruto nodded and walked forward, taking out a scroll and a pen. "It is quite simple really. My kekkei-genkai is much like this scroll here. Whenever I train, or as I grow in age and experience, this scroll unfolds like so." True to his words, he unfolded a bit of the scroll. "As you can see, I can now write on the scroll. Same with my abilities. The more of the scroll is unraveled, the more I can write on it, or in other words, the more powers I can gain. By powers I mean physical transformations, such as my blades or claws, or visual acuity. Depending on the training, I increase different skills. Of course, some of this scroll's available space can be left unfilled for a later time. Now, the important part. Improvements take up more space the more radical they are. For example, my claws take less space than my blades but more than say, my feline eyes or strength increase. I literally unravel more of the scroll the more things I meet. If I were to meet a poison, I become immune to it in seconds. If you were to burn me, the next time I will be more resistant to it. If I were to run as fast as I can for a time, my endurance and speed will increase. Due to my... life, I am all but immune to most things that would kill you. I will not share any more knowledge on my bloodline for my clan's safety. However, I hereby tell you that Kyubi is on our side, or well MY side. I have absolutely NO loyalty to Konoha, thanks to all the bastards hunting me down like a rabid dog, but I have a great amount of loyalty to my friends. As long as Saru-jiji and certain people remain here and loyal to Konoha, so will I. Screw with ANY of them and I swear to you, not even Shinigami-sama himself will recognize your remains. That goes double for you Hiashi-teme. Even though it won't matter soon. I have almost broken down the caged bird seal. In a month _tops_ I will be able to release it and replace it with a universal seal that does the exact same thing but without the enslavement flaw. You have a few weeks to contemplate your misgivings. Oh and for your knowledge, not even a demon would hurt a child of any race. They have so few children that they cherish them more than anything. In other words, if you hurt any child, of any age, for any reason... be prepared _for the entire might of Kyubi's army __**to lay siege to this place!**_This isn't a threat. Its a promise that these idiots in the civilian council need to learn. And I'm sure that they will before the day is done. Now, the meeting is over apparently and I will take my leave."

Naruto walked out calmly, a halo of power around him. Anko and Tenten flanked him, looking as much loyal bodyguards as trusted friends. The shinobi council quickly broke and left, each thinking their own thoughts. Jiraiya and Sarutobi secretly high-fived each other.

The next day, Naruto was at the gates with the rest of his friends, waiting for the toad summoner. When Jiraiya came, they both waved their friends goodbye and left. Jiraiya didn't want to stay near the pervert-castrating pair of Anko and Kurenai any longer than he absolutely had to. Those that thought the red-eyed jounin was gentle in nature, had never come across any of her anti-hentai genjutsu...

"Neji-nii-san could become one of us. Ever since Naruto-kun _explained_ some things to him, he has become a much better person. He corrects Hanabi-chan's mistakes and doesn't glare any more. He also took up Naruto's words to heart." Here Hinata stood imitating Neji. "_ 'It is your destiny to lose to me for you are not strong enough to change it.'_ " Hinata sat down as the others broke in laughter. "Or something like that. He still has a long way to go, but he's working on it."

Next to her, Shino piped up. "Shikamaru is also a possibility. He's more intelligent than me, but he lacks motivation and any form of real power. No doubt he will become strong, but he can become much stronger if we, or he, get rid of his lazyness. I would suggest a mock attack against Akimichi Chouji or Yamanaka Ino. It would also show them their own faults. Both of them, especially Chouji, possess the virtues we need. They are both highly loyal to their friends and under the right circumstances and training, they could become forces to be reckoned with, especially considering they have been brought up to be a team."

The others agreed and the talk went on.

In another part of the village, two cloaked figures with red clouds on black background on their cloaks and large straw hats on their heads entered Konohagakure no Sato... Putting the guards to sleep with a flash of crimson colored eyes, the two figures walked in. They would later be cofronted by Hatake Kakashi, Maito Gai, Yuuhi Kurenai and Sarutobi Asuma. When the two villais, later revealed to be Uchiha Itachi and Hoshigaki Kisame, escaped, the Hokage and several ANBU units arrived. Hatake Kakashi was publicly humiliated for being incapable of stopping the two missing ninja, even though he possessed the famed Sharingan. Noone noticed the hidden smirks of both Sarutobi and Kakashi. These face masks do come in handy after all.

A few days later, Naruto found himself in a small hotel room, practicing his chakra control. According to Kyubi, he would never be able to match, say Hinata's, control, but he could still improve it in a different way. According to the old Bijuu, Naruto would never be able to limit his chakra output enough for delicate proceedures, so why should he focus on it? Instead he could focus on being able to unleash a large amount of chakra and control it instead. That would theoretically improve all his jutsu, considering he'd be able to maintain them for longer as well as pump chakra for more damage instead of for more size, as is the usual. So Naruto would spend his time in quiet meditation, letting his chakra circle him like a gentle shroud of power. The old pervert had long since left with some woman that made a pass on him. Erasing the thoughts, and images, of what the fifty-year-old perv would be doing right now, Naruto focused his mind entirely on his excercise. He tried to force the shroud into an armor around him, a thin, compressed layer of protective chakra around him. Theoretically, he should be able to shield himself from chakra-based attacks this way. He might even be able to use Kyubi's youkai without as many problems.

Hearing a knock on his door, Naruto sighed and mumbled about the old pervert getting dumped and his wallet stolen. Opening the door, he came across a vaguely familiar face. It took him but a second to recognize the emotionless, angular face with onyx eyes and black-blue hair. It took him even less for his face to contort to a visage of raw hatred and fury.

'Uchiha... Itachi...'

_-Flashback, 6 years ago-_

_Naruto was shivering in the cold. The clothes he wore, just barely able to cover his body, torn as they were. Looking through the trash, he was searching for something he could use, clothes, food or maybe a knife to help himself hunt something. He could also try begging, but he knew noone would help him. Not that he would do it if they did. He was too proud for that, he was going to be Hokage after all! No Hokage would stoop to begging, unless it was for others. As he was going through the trash in the side alley, he heard the sound of feet walking behind him. It came from the street, but it was late, too late for normal people to be around shopping or visiting friends. A female figure appeared walking by on the street, whistling a carefree song. Naruto dashed for cover, not knowing who this person was, but not willing to take any chances either. Loneliness had taught that to him._

_She was going back home after visiting her dear friend. They spent a bit too much time discussing gossip, but there was no harm done, her husband and sons knew it would happen. After all, it wasn't everyday she could get out of the compound, so it was a great chance to catch up with her friends. There were some bags on her hands, hand-me-downs from her friend and some cakes, she knew her sons would love. Her son had grown out of them but they were just perfect for her youngest son. They were in such great condition too, he could use them when roughhousing with the others in the yard. No point in destroying perfectly good clothing by playing in the mud now was there? Walking on the street, she heard the sound of small feet running and hitting on things. If it weren't for her eldest son's shinobi training, she wouldn't have even realized it. He had played enough pranks on her as a child, at least until the Hokage took him away for personalized training and instead killed his personality. Motherly instincts kicked in and she moved to the sound, no child should be outside, barefoot, in the middle of the night._

_Entering the alley, she saw a child shivering, trying desperately to cover himself with some cardboards. His shivering made it impossible however, so intence it was. Moving slowly, so as to not worry the child, the woman moved on of the cardboards to come across a sight that scared her. A child, no older than her son, thin, obviously starved, was shivering, trying in vain to cover himself with the torn remnants of his clothes. Dirty blonde hair covered his head and the deepest, most shocking cerulean blue eyes adorned his face. Three whisker marks were etched on his cheeks, like those of a fox. The woman was confused. Her husband and clan members always told her to stay away from the child for his burden, calling him Kyubi re-incarnated. He didn't seem much like Kyubi at the moment though, just a scared shivering child. She was torn between duty and instinct for only a second before her hand reached down to the child._

_Naruto was scared, he was found out. The masked people weren't around and he was alone. He wouldn't whimper or cry, he knew that would only make things worse. He just stared defiantly as the hand reached down to hit him. Just like everyone else did._

The hand touched his cheek and caressed it gently. A voice came, calm, without hate, caring, much like jiji's but also different. So different... like the voice he saw other children listen to from the women that escorted them to the park.

_"Hello there child. Aren't you cold?"_

_Naruto just stared at her, blinking. Did she just show care about him? "H-hai I am... but I got no clothes so it's alright. I'll just have to wait for dawn."_

_The woman's eyes clouded with fury. Demon or not, prison or prisoner, no child should ever be forced to go through this. Seeing that her anger scared the child, she smiled at him and put her hand in the bag._

_Naruto was scared. First she shows care, then she becomes angry then she smiles and places her hand in her bags. She was going to pull a knife out, she was going to hurt him just like the others. Backing up as much as possible away from the woman, he tried to cover his most vulnerable spots. Again that frown, again that anger in her eyes. She was going to hurt him. There she was, pulling her hand out of her bag, dragging out a shirt. Wait, what? A shirt? Why not a knife? Why not a stick or stone?_

_"Come here little one. You need this more than my son does, he's got many shirts he can wear."_

"Why?" Came the curious answer from the child.

_"Well I don't think Sasu-chan needs all these clothes, he'd probably just dirty them up or tear them trying to immitate Ita-chan. Besides, I can't stand seeing a child like this."_

_Naruto took the offered shirt and wore it, followed by some trousers and shoes. "Everyone else seems to enjoy seeing me like this though..."_

_The woman frowned. "They probably are just fools. Don't worry about them, you just keep getting better and change their opinions."_

_Naruto gave her a wide grin. "Yeah, I'm gonna be Hokage someday, believe it! Then everyone's going to like me!"_

_The woman giggled, handing him a cake. "Eat well and sleep well tonight. You might just become Hokage Naruto-kun."_

_As the woman turned around, Naruto realized something. "How do you know me and who are you?"_

_"Everyone in the village knows you Naruto-kun. My name is Uchiha Mikoto. See you tomorrow Naruto-kun."_

_That was the last day Naruto saw Uchiha Mikoto. Later he would find out she had been murdered along with her clan... by her own son._

_-End Flashback_

Naruto's fists tightened and moved with insane speed, surprising the person in front of him. "Uchiha Mikoto no KATAKI! (Revenge for Uchiha Mikoto!)"

WHAM! CRASH!

Itachi wasn't a man you could easily surprise. He expected many things from Naruto when he would reveal himself. Anger maybe, fear most definitely, an attempt to escape, another definite. Instead he got socked in the gut by an insanely powerful punch. Even though he reinforced his stomach with his chakra and managed to twist himself a bit to avoid the worst, the punch almost ruptured his spleen and sent him through a wall.

Kisame blinked a few times in surprise. Then, Naruto stepped outside and he had the sudden urge to scream in fear and run away, so much was the fury the child was sending out in waves. Then the chakra came, and if it wasn't for Samehada's thirst, he would have run away. That brat had a few times his _own_! (A/N: Imagine seeing Goku in SSJ3... yup you'd want to run away too...)

Itachi shook his head and looked at Naruto. It was one of the few times he had been scared in his life. He tried to speak but his chest hurt a lot.

"How... How dare you, you piece of shit... How dare you kill her... **I WILL KILL YOU!"**

Youkai flared and twisted around Naruto forming a visible armor. Naruto's hands grew claws and his eyes became slits. His balance shifted forward as he balanced himself on the balls of his toes, a pair of segmented, bladed tails holding him upwards. Mouth turned into a muzzle and he _roared_ shaking the entire building. The Sharingan's timely activation saved Itachi from a painful death by being impaled by a pair of claws through his lungs. He didn't have a moment of reprisal as Naruto's tail moved faster than a scorpion and stuck at Itachi's new position. The Uchiha traitor barely managed to move to the side and avoid becoming impaled by the blades, instead he got nicked at the shoulder, the force almost breaking his collarbone even with a light tap. A burning sensation warned Itachi that things weren't going to be as simple as the leader told them.

Kisame moved behind Naruto, ready to hit him on the head with Samehada. That would knock the brat out, as well as feed Samehada. The bandage wrapped form came quckly down and... Naruto's other tail moved with insane speed, knocking the blade to the side, before rapidly coiling and uncoiling once, throwing Kisame back.

**"JAMA SURUNA! (DON'T INTERFERE!)"**

Itachi moved with the speed and precision that made him known throughout the land. Drawing out a kunai, he moved to defend the incoming assault. Of course it is easier said than done. Itachi had fought many opponents in his life. Opponents that could use three limbs at the same time or that pelted him with ninjutsu while dodging. But nothing had ever prepared Itachi for this. Naruto moved with a grace that would make any feline green with envy, his bones bending in impossible degrees. Itachi wasn't pitted against two fists and a foot at the same time. He was pitted against a pair of claws, a pair of feet and a pair of very nasty looking tails. All the while Naruto would literally spit Fuuton jutsu from his mouth.

Dodging a wind drill, Itachi found himself staring at the damning two orbs of red that were Naruto's eyes. Not an instant later, the orbs were replaced by a tail, forcing Itachi to dodge to the side. As he rolled, a kick came from the blind spot behind Itachi's neck, sending him crashing through a wall. The nuke-nin shakily stood up. Naruto's toes had grown claws that were used to project wind blades. The kick had made three rather nasty cuts on Itachi's side. Itachi managed to find himself standing on stable ground, where he could move with much greater ease, considering he was lieing on debris a few seconds ago. Behind Naruto, Kisame's towering form rose with a scowl. That hit had seriously hurt and managed to even cut him. Samehada tried to heal the wound, but the chakra Kisame had inside him, wasn't very good at healing youkai-induced blows.

Itachi's eyes shifted to the Mangekyou form, but before he had time to use his most powerful jutsu, a voice rang through the corridor, laced with hatred.

"ITACHI!"

It was the young gennin, Uchiha Sasuke. He saw Itachi and his anger flared, though it never quite reached Naruto's insane KI levels. Handseals were performed and lightning covered Sasuke's hand, while flame-like markings started covering his face. With a warcry, he dashed as fast as he could towards Itachi.

Against many shinobi, even chuunin, the young man would have been a flash of black and blue. Against Itachi's Mangekyou Sharingan though... he might as well be taking a stroll through the park. Itachi's hand lashed out and grabbed Sasuke's wrist, lifted him in the air and snapped in by constricting it. In the same place Naruto had snapped it before, not a month ago. Chakra surged through Itachi's eyes and the most powerful Genjutsu in the world, Tsukuyomi assaulted Sasuke's psyche with brutal force.

Naruto however, didn't have time to benefit from Itachi's distraction, as Kisame sought retribution... by attempting to smash his giant weapon on Naruto's head. Alas it was not to be, as Naruto's heatsight warned him of the danger and he dodged with great speed. The bandage-bound Samehada smashed through the floor, sending splinters everywhere. Everyone inside the hotel had long since left, Naruto's roar scaring them halfway to death. Kisame smirked, it was a great fight, something he had missed.

**"Jama o suru nara... KOROSU! (If you interfere... I'LL KILL YOU!)"**

Kisame was forced to move as Naruto had rammed his tail into the floor, lifted himself to the air and threw himself onto Kisame. For his part, the shark-man placed his Samehada in front, forming a very nasty barrier for Naruto to get through. He readied himself, knowing the Jinchuuriki would crash onto him any moment now. The sound of claws digging to the floor warned him just a second before a tail came from the side, wrapped itself around Kisame's legs and threw him away like a rag doll. Naruto stood up from his claw-stand, ripping his claws from the woodwork he had embedded them into and charged the still-downed Kisame.

Kisame watched in awe. Sure, if he went all out, he could have killed the brat... maybe. But for a bloody gennin, one that didn't even have stubble, to hit him as hard as that. Why the fuck did he want to get the kid again? Oh yeah, because if he didn't the leader would kill them. Great, just great. Using the momentary reprisal from the fight, Kisame spat forth five globs of water that immidiately turned into water sharks, launching themselves to the Jinchuuriki.

Naruto's chakra gathered on the tips of his tails and his mouth, as he countered Kisame's jutsu.

**"Suiton: Goshokuzame! (Water Style: Five Hunting Sharks!)"**

**"Fuuton: Dai Kaze Rin! (Wind Style: Greatest Wind Ring!)"**

The two jutsu collided, the rings taking out the water sharks, in a fountain of water. Naruto dashed under the water, only to find Kisame's Samehada blocking his claws. Quickly realizing that the sword could draw out his youkai, Naruto leapt back. Kisame drew a breath of relief, his blade could now heal him a bit from these wounds, his ankles still hurt from the blades of that fucking tail.

A scream inside interrupted them, as Sasuke fell unconscious from the mental trauma he was forced to re-live. Itachi walked calmly towards Naruto's location, knowing Kisame was dealing with the Jinchuuriki. As he rushed to knock out the blonde fighter, he felt a surge of chakra above him. Moving back just in time to avoid the blade of a huge Zanbatou, Itachi glared at the form of the new arrival, the Zanbatou gleaming in the moonlight, its dragon and oni depiction glinting ominously.

"Ya wouldn't want ta interfere with that match now would ya teme? Two on one isn't that fair so I'm here ta even the odds a bit. Oi brat, who's yours?" Momochi Zabuza announced in his characteristic way, his Chakra flaring around him in preparation.

**"Itachi. You handle sushi bar here. Just avoid his sword, it pisses me off, drawing my chakra. You can leave him alive if you want to. I got a score to settle with him for interfering."**

Zabuza chuckled darkly. "So ya just can't fight honorably can ya Kisame? Then again ya never did. No wonder the others hate your guts. If it wasn't for that sword o' yours, you'd be worse than dog shit ya looser. Doncha worry though. I got some aces in the hole as well. Now, time ta kill the teme that helped that jerk of a Mizukage."

Naruto leapt back towards Itachi, dashing with great speed and strength towards the nuke-nin. Itachi had barely enough time to brace himself and ready his kunai in anticipation of the blows. Naruto's claws came from the middle, in an attempt to impale the traitor. When Itachi dodged by leaping back, he quickly was forced to move again as Fuuton chakra covered the claws and was launched in his direction. Thankfully for him, the Sharingan allowed him to see and predict the attack, moving out of the way just in time. Before he had the time to relax however, he felt a bit of chakra behind him, as a henge'd clone of Naruto revealed itself, its claws heading for Itachi's back.

Only the former ANBU's reflexes saved him from being bisected, as the claws attacked from behind with lethal speed. Managing to dodge at the last second, Itachi's foot lashed out, destroying the clone. Naruto moved in for the kill, depending on the fact that Itachi would be out of balance, only for Itachi's hands to reach out from the huge sleeves of the cloak and grab Naruto. Before the jinchuuriki had time to react, he was thrown away by a kick on the spine.

Standing up slowly, Naruto's hand moved over his heart as Itachi heard a pair of words. **"Gentei Kaiho. (Limiter Release.)"** Instantly, Naruto's chakra burst outwards in a powerful flame before being reabsorbed by his body.

With his full chakra levels unleashed, Naruto covered each and every possible weapon he possessed on his body with Fuuton chakra. Sending a burst of the same chakra to his feet, he launched himself forward, pouncing on the seemingly calm Uchiha.

Itachi had rarely depended himself so much on the Sharingan's powers, knowing that they would bring ruin due to hubris and pride. This, was one such time as Naruto sped up considerably, striking in every angle imaginable. At the same time...

Forced to move back, Itachi unleashed several genjutsu, only to feel them break on Naruto's youkai armor. A few quick Katon proved just as inefficient, not even scorching Naruto's clothes. Maybe he should resort to Suiton, but without any water source around him, he couldn't, as he didn't have suiton affinity. Clicking his tongue in annoyance, knowing he had prescious little time before Jiraiya would realize the trap and come running back, Itachi readied himself to use Tsukuyomi on the hapless Jinchuuriki. He didn't have time to however, as he was interrupted by a very, _very_ powerful fist, stronger even than Naruto's. Itachi's body almost broke from the force of the blow and he was launched through several walls... face first, as the hit had come from behind.

A few, wrecked, rooms away, Kisame was trying to hit Zabuza with his Samehada. Keyword, trying, as the former nuke-nin's reflexes had been sharpened to an insane degree through all the spars with Naruto and Anko. To Zabuza's new reflexes, Kisame wasn't anywhere near the speed required. Ducking under an overhead, overextended swing, Zabuza spun on his left foot, lashing out with his right to trip Kisame. In case that failed, Zabuza's trusty Zanbatou was leveled on the shoulder to take care of the shark-faced Akatsuki. Kisame moved his Samehada out of his viewpoint just in time to see the incoming foot and blade. Leaping back, out of the reach of the blade, he relaxed. Zabuza simply changed foot, making another spin, this time with his blade coming upwards, in an attempt to slice Kisame.

Dodging again, just in time to avoid becoming sushi, Kisame didn't have time to dodge again, as Zabuza turned his rising strike into a leap followed by a downward slash. Managing to place his monstrous sword in blockig position just in time, Kisame grunted as his own sword hit him on the face with the force of the attack. Leaping back he turned an accusing finger towards the smirking Zabuza.

"What the fuck is wrong with you Zabuza? How the fuck did you get so strong and fast? Not three years ago, I'd have beaten your sorry ass to the ground by now!"

Zabuza chuckled darkly. "Ya know, when Naruto's your partner in an all out spar, considering he doesn't know the meaning of 'hold back', its kinda natural. Heck, he's calling his training regime 'buckle up or die', and I can vouch for both buckling up and dieing. If ya don't go fast enough, he'll have your head, if ya can't last long enough, he'll have your head, if ya hesitate, guess what? He'll have your head. Compared to wonder-brat over there, you're nothing much teme. Heck, red-eyes and moon-eyes give me more trouble than you and they're girls for crying out loud! Then again, you always were a wimp." Zabuza smirked wickedly. Kisame never had any sort of restraint on his emotions nor any respect for Kunoichi. To hear a pair of kunoichi gave more trouble to Zabuza than the overly proud nuke-nin did... would infuriate him. And as Zabuza knew all too well, loosing your cool means you loose your head.

Predictably, the blue-skinned shinobi lost his cool. Expending a large amount of his reserves, he sped through many handseals before calling out his jutsu.

**"SUITON: DAIBAKUFU NO JUTSU! (Water Style:Great Explosion Technique!)"**

Opening his mouth open wide, Kisame spat out a small lake in the form of a highly pressurized geyzer. He may not have had the Nidaime Hokage's expertise with water, but he sure as hell had much, much greater reserves of chakra.

Zabuza however, had recently come across the same jutsu and knew what to expect. Instead of leaping away or preparing a defence, he used some of the water inside his Zanbatou and answered with an offencive jutsu of his own.

**"Suiton: Suigetsuzan! (Water Style: Crescent Moon Water Slash!)"**

Swinging his Zanbatou, he unleashed a very thin line of extremely high pressure water, sending it outwards in the form of a crescent moon. The technique split the incoming blast in two and hit Kisame in the waist, almost cutting him in half.

Kisame for himself, could barely believe it, he was getting defeated! What use is a chakra-absorbing sword, if he can't get to absorb his enemy's chakra? While most would have sought to improve themselves to cover this fault in their style, Kisame just blamed his sword for not being strong enough. The first crack in the bond between sword and swordsman had been made.

Not wanting to give Kisame any time for his sword to heal him, Zabuza sped up with the sword held to his side in striking position. An instant before he lashed out, a coccoon of wind formed around the blade, improving the sharpness to insane levels, not wanting to give the shark-like man a single chance to escape. So focused he was on landing that blow, that he didn't notice a large fireball coming his way until the last second. Diverting his attack, he let loose the blade of wind that had formed on his sword, cutting the incoming fireball in two.

Itachi landed between Kisame and Zabuza. With quick motions, he grabbed his companion and made to run away. A few steps later, the walls had turned into flesh that lashed out to attack them. An elderly voice rang out.

"Don't even bother running now. We're in the stomach of a Stone Toad. He can breathe fire so there's no escape for you."

Regardless of the warning, Itachi ran off. A few seconds later, an explosion rocked the building. Zabuza ran towards it, meeting up with Naruto and the user of the technique, Jiraiya. They just stared at the hole that had been created, black flames still burning on it. With quick, deliberate motions, Jiraiya sealed the flames in a scroll for later research.

After a few short explanations, Zabuza picked up the still unconscious Sasuke and left to return to Konoha. Naruto and Jiraiya just marched on, intent on finding Tsunade before it was all lost.

A few days later, Naruto and Jiraiya entered a town called Tanzaku Gai, filled with casinos and betting places. Jiraiya glanced at Naruto, the jinchuuriki had been rather upset after meeting Itachi... and after learning about Mikoto, Jiraiya could understand. He just hoped Naruto wouldn't do something stupid. Moving quickly to find out any clues about Tsunade, the pair split up, both knowing what to look for.

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**A/N: Hello again! Quick chapter, but I hope it's well written. So review and tell me what you think. Also, I'm notifying you all that my comp has caught a nasty virus that just won't go away. I'm at my wit's end as my antivirus (Avira btw) just won't get rid of it and instead locks down my files. I will still try to update, just wanted you to know it will be slow going until I can get rid of the damn bugger.**

**Once again here come some notes:**

**Naruto isn't at Itachi's level. Yet. He's getting close however, as he gets stronger every time he gets in a fight. So he's well on his way. The reason he was so good against Itachi is that, Itachi isn't a taijutsu specialist, but a genjutsu specialist with a good array of ninjutsu behind him. He's also good in kenjutsu but he doesn't have one. Next is Naruto's unpredictability. With the Sharingan, Itachi can keep track of everything he sees, but if he can't see something, how is he going to predict or keep track of it? Don't forget that just about noone can fight Naruto's way, meaning he creates and takes advantage of flaws in taijutsu you never knew existed. Lastly, it is very, very hard to dodge or block while prone on the floor. The fact that Itachi did just that, is a testament to how powerful he is. Do not forget something about my fic; it is western inspired. In other words, no matter how 'high' your level is, if you get stabbed through the temple, you're dead, unless you're Naruto or Hidan. Your 'level' determines what you can do about it and how you can avoid said situation.**

**For those not aware, Mikoto is Itachi's and Sasuke's mother. The fact that she showed kindness to Naruto, means that he in turn cared for her. To find out her own son killed her and later meet said son... well how would you have reacted, all things considered?**

**I'm going kind of AU on Kisame's and Zabuza's past, as we know nothing about them in the cannon. I hope you forgive that.  
**

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**Today, on this 9/6/2012, I, Soulblazer87, do hereby leave this site, possibly forever.**

**I shall not update this, or any other story.**

**I shall leave them on, however. Should you desire to follow my stories, do so in my new site of residence: www dot yourfanfiction dot com.**


	22. Chapter 22

_Chapter 22: Stag's Choice, Slug's Fury_

Jiraiya and Naruto walked throughout Tanzaku Gai, looking for the Sennin's teammate. Jiraiya had tried to get Naruto to open up again, but the junchuuriki wasn't in a talking mood. And after finding the reason, Jiraiya couldn't really blame him.

Finally in Tankzaku Gai, Naruto and Jiraiya stayed at the hotel, while a small army of Kage Bushin spread out, looking for clues. Jiraiya had tried to describe Tsunade as much as possible, but with his insistence on Tsunade's impressive bust, Naruto had to smack him quite a few times in order to get him serious. After Naruto's clones started dispersing, Naruto and Jiraiya left their room to look at any people the clones had found.

Tsunade was calmly drinking her sake, ignoring Shizune's protests about drinking. Suddenly, a shadow fell on her and an all-too-familiar voice caused her to almost spit her drink.

"May we sit her eh? Tsu-hime?"

Looking up, she saw the Super Pervert Jiraiya and a blonde gaki dressed like the Yondaime, only much darker. Tsunade shrugged and replied. "Do what you want. You'd do it anyway."

Jiraiya sat down, calling a few more bottles of sake. "Don't be so cold Tsu-hime..."

Tsunade humphed beforeemptaying her cup. "So, why are you here pervert?"

Jiraiya began making small talk with Tsunade while Naruto was angered more and more by her behaviour. It was one thing to mock Jiraiya, as Naruto did quite often, and a whole different thing trying to put everyone around her down. Not only did she insult Jiraiya more than necessary but she had the gall, the _audacity_ to insult the Hokage.

Naruto abruptly stood up. "Let's go Ero-sennin. _That_ is not Tsunade. That's just a bitter old coward that can't face life. Let's just go report failure to the old man. And to think he had such faith in her..." Naruto shook his head derisively.

Of course that didn't sit well with Tsunade. "What's your problem gaki? I can do what ever I-"

"You shut up. You're not worthy to be talking to anyone about anything."

Tsunade bristled. "What did you say?"

Naruto glared at her with such fury she actually was taken aback. "You have the audacity to include the Hokage. Your sensei. The person that believed the most in you when everyone else would forget you. You have the fucking gall to insult your own family and the things they died for. So don't you fucking dare talk to me you whiny old bitch. You don't have the right to. Right now, you have insulted not only the one person to believe in ME from the beggining, but also the very ideal, the very seat of the Hokage. So shut the fuck up and go die in a gutter. See how much I care. And I bet, apart from Jiraiya who _still_ loves you, noone else would."

Tsunade was taken aback as she tried to formulate a responce. Coming up with none, she just harumphed. "What would you know of life gaki?"

Naruto snorted. "Obviously more than _you_. Come on Ero-sennin. She's not worthy of even a shallow grave. Much less someone's, anyone's love."

Tsunade leapt up, the sake taking control of her, already unstable emotions. "Oh yeah, well let's take it outside buster!"

Naruto snorted. "So when your mind can't come up with anything you resort to fists, having the retarded belief of 'might makes right'. Your forefathers must be turning in their graves from the shame. But very well. I shall _play with you_. Even if it's for a bit."

Tsunade more or less stomped her way outside. Once out, she just lifted her hand, one finger extended. Naruto blinked.

"One minute? A time limit until you faint from the sake or something?"

Tsunade smirked. "No. One finger. All I need for you."

Naruto sighed and shook his head. Jiraiya went up to her. "Tsunade, you may want to renege on that. Gaki's tough shit."

In responce Tsunade just laughed. "Maybe to you pervert. But for me, one finger is all it would take."

Naruto and Shizune didn't miss the hurt look in his face, even though it disappeared very quickly. Shizune counted down.

As soon as she counted to zero, Naruto vanished. Tsunade's eyes widened as she turned to look behind her. Naruto's kick was barely stopped by Tsunade's arm but before she had time to throw him away, a fist came from below as the kick disengaged. Tsunade's reduced and alcohol addled reflexes didn't have time to warn her, so the fist connected.

**WHAM!**

Tsunade's eyes widened as she was literally rocketed upwards from the uppercut. She felt several bones creak and just the instinctive appliance of chakra saved her jaw from shattering. The force of the punch was so great that Tsunade didn't have time to right herself before Naruto appeared over her and nailed her with a devastating heel drop.

Tsunade made a crater from her landing. She painfully got up, her wounds already healing as she didn't need handseals to heal such common injuries.

"Alright gaki, that's it. You pissed me off. I'm gonna take this seriously from now."

Tsunade expected Naruto to back off from the killing intent and her promise. That's why she was so surprised when Naruto smirked and nodded to Jiraiya.

Before anyone had time to wonder, Jiraiya went through several handseals and unleashed a burst of chakra. Tsunade blinked at him and shouted. "What did you do you pervert!"

Naruto just chuckled. "Oh nothing much, just covered an area around us with a genjutsu. After all, you're about to witness one of Konoha's top S-ranked secrets... me."

Tsunade looked back at him and stepped back in fear, disgust and scientific wonder. Naruto's form was mutating before her very eyes. He grew claws and his feet changed form. His eyes became slitted and bloodshot. Of course, she said the one thing in both Shizune's and her own mind. "What the fuck is that?"

Naruto chuckled, a deep, dark, almost mourning chuckle. "The price of power. I am no longer human Tsunade. I haven't been since I was eight. You can thank, or blame, your home village for this."

"W-what?"

"Heh, do you even know my name Tsunade? My name is Uzumaki-Namikaze Naruto, son of the Yondaime Hokage and... jinchuuriki of the Kyubi no Yoko. Also, from what you can see, I'm no longer human. That privilege was stolen from me the very day I was born and banned from it when Konoha's fools tortured me."

"Wh-what are you talking about?"

"Because you weren't there, my mother died at birth while my father gave up his very soul to seal the Kyubi in me, in a desperate attempt to save the village. Sandaime did his best, but he's an old man now, he's tired. So, Konoha's civilians, and many shinobi, considered me to be Kyubi himself. So, they sought to take out their anger and pain on me. For eight years I was tortured and beaten. Eight years until the seal finally broke and I became... this."

Naruto waived his arms around before continuing, enjoying the horror-struck look on Tsunade's face. "So, are we gonna do this or are you going to chicken out again Tsunade? Orochimaru at least forced me to go all out against him, both times. Itachi was pushed back. Kisame as well. What about you Tsunade?"

Shock etched on Tsunade's face she took a step back while Naruto stalked towards her. When he was finally close enough he spoke. "Without the will to protect, you cannot defeat me. Your heart is full of fear. Your mind is full of doubt. Until you recover your own will... you cannot hope to defeat me, or anyone for that matter. This fight... is meaningless. Good bye."

With that, Naruto reverted to his original form and walked away. Jiraiya just stayed there enough to drop the genjutsu and warn them against revealing Naruto's powers before he himself also left.

Tsunade slowly straightened up and looked at Shizune. Her thoughts were wrapped around a single thought: _'Am I really that pathetic?'_

The next day, Tsunade got dressed quickly and left to spy on Naruto. She had to find the truth. She spied on Jiraiya's room and saw the chuunin leave to go outside the town. Once there, he went at an empty plot of land, filled with trees. A cross-shaped handseal later, the place was filled with clones of Naruto. In seconds, they were spread aroud each practicing his own. Some were trying to take tree climbing to new levels, others mastering water walking with added difficulties, while the rest were working on taijutsu, using a very animalistic form that required a lot of agility, speed and flexibility. Naruto himself just got down to finishing the Rasengan. After watching him practice for more than an hour, Tsunade gathered the courage to speak to him.

She made sure to make enough noise as she approached so as to not startle the boy. After all, even though she's a Sannin, a lucky shot is all that it would take.

"You seem to be working hard aren't ya gaki." Yup, a classic greeting from the alcohol addicted medic.

Naruto shrugged a bit as he let the chakra in his hand disperse. "It's not like I have much of a choice in the matter. With a bunch of S-ranked lunatics after me and Kyu, I have to. Besides, I have to protect _them_."

Tsunade sat on a rock, watching the clones practice. "Like hell you don't have a choice. If you have a bunch of S-ranked people, chances are you're not going to live for long. Might as well make the most of your time you know."

Naruto sighed in dismay. "I know. I know that. Hell, I could barely push back Itachi and I had the advantage. Next time they're gonna be prepared and I may not have Zabuza for backup. Heck maybe Hinata will be dragged into it. That's why I'm trying so hard. I have to get stronger. Strong enough that they will not even consider coming after us. Then... then I can enjoy what life I'm still entitled to."

Tsunade huffed audibly as she looked towards the morning sky. "So that's why you're trying to master that technique huh. I'd suggest drinking sake though. Less trouble, feels better and it wouldn't matter anyway."

"On the contrary... even if I were to fail... If I failed without doing my best, I wouldn't be able to rest. That's why I _have_ to do this. I have to master the Rasengan. I have to complete the technique. I have to become as strong as I could possibly ever be. So that, even if I die, I can die diligently and with the knowledge that there was simply _nothing else that could possibly be done._"

Nothing else that could possibly be done... How many times had the Slug Sannin thought about that. What else could she have done? How much could she have changed if she had tried something else? Could she have saved Dan's life? Nawaki's? Her old comrades' lives? If she had... But no, she couldn't think about that. She needed sake, yes sake to drown the pain, make it go away... Sake and gambling to forget the hurt, the fear, the... the blood.

Even in the warm morning sun, Tsunade shivered and shuddered. In seconds she felt a fabric cover her shoulders. Shaken from her thoughts, she realized it was a trenchcoat. Naruto's trenchcoat.

"Oi gaki, what are you doing?"

Naruto just shrugged as he tried focusing his chakra on his hand again. "You shivered. Shivering means you feel cold. Feeling cold means you need clothing to keep warm. I do not... feel cold any more. So, I can spare the trenchcoat." Seeing Tsunade's surprised face, he gave a fake smile. "Well, it isn't like I don't have others with me."

Tsunade felt Naruto's warmth in that cloth. That damn gaki, even through such times he was so annoyingly empathic. As if he owed her anything, as if she were... worth anything. She made to speak when she heard the pop and another balloon blew up on Naruto's hand. Naruto just grumbled something inaudible and picked another.

"Hmph, if you're going to be like that, might as well make it more interesting." That had Naruto's attention. "You seem to have some time ahead of you before finishing the Rasengan. So, let's have a bet. You have one week to finish it. If you make it, I will admit you're right, you can be Hokage and I'll even give you this amulet as proof." Tsunade showed the pendant to the gennin who's eyes squinted at it before widening at the realization. "However, if you fail, you'll give me all your money and give up on being a ninja." She gave a smug smile at the other blonde.

"Heh, I see. That's how it is. Alright Tsunade, I'll take that bet. Just one thing; if, and when, I win, you're going to at least consider being Hokage. Old man... he's tired. He's had to suffer a lot, both mind and body. He's not like he used to be. So if not for me, at least consider it for the one person to believe you were still the fiery Slug Sennin Tsunade, master of the Healing Arts and... pretty much the only person to be able to keep Ero-sennin in check." Naruto grinned at the last part, managing to dispel the gloom that had settled on the pair.

Tsunade giggled a bit at the last declaration. "Alright gaki. I might come to actually stand you. Now, sorry but a jug of sake has my name on it."

Naruto laughed and bid her goodbye as he focused back into training his Rasengan. That day, Jiraiya would treat Naruto to ramen before helping him with his training.

It was more than a week since Naruto had left looking for Tsunade and the gang was practicing as hard as ever. That day however, things were different. Instead of waking up in their secret headquarters, working out like crazy until lunchtime and then having a battle royal in one of the Training Grounds (favourite amongst them being number 44), the team gathered around the headquarters. Zabuza, Anko and Kurenai, being the three most experienced Shinobi, had everyone gather around. Anko took a step forward, denoting herself as the leader.

"Alright everyone, I think it's time we got more people into the fold. Shino, front and center." Anko paused, letting the gennin take his place in front of the group. "A week ago you suggested that Shikamaru be initiated and join our group. Since then we have been watching and giving him and his team time to adapt and train, seeing as they got a very nasty wake up call. However, despite Kiba's, Lee's and Tenten's best efforts after the invasion, Team 10 hasn't changed all that much. So, we have a problem. If Shikamaru isn't motivated enough soon, then there will be no point in approaching him as, if such a case doesn't urge him to train more, nothing will. Here's where you come in. Despite your, impressive, skillset, you remain this team's weakest combat member. Of course, as you very well know, means nothing as your intellect more than make up for it. As you can undersrstand, Team 10 has to be tested. If all three of them cannot defeat you in a spar... there is no point in trying to help them. Shino, your task is to go challenge and test the skills of Team 10. We all know how good you are at reading people and their intentions. Also we know that you are capable of deeming someone worthy of this group. We know for a fact that Team 10 has a day off missions today and will be in Training Ground 10 practicing teamwork. You know your task, go, test them and see if they should join, either now or later on."

Shino nodded and walked away, but not before whispering an 'Itekimasu (I'll be off, usually used in families)' to Haku. Anko once again started talking. "As we know, Naruto's off to bring Senju Tsunade back to the village to act as Godaime means we're going to have our hands full. We have to bring her up to speed with facts through our point of view. We need to get as much dirt on these bastards of the council and discredit them. Thanks to the havoc caused by the invasion, and Sandaime-sama making strategical retreats when needed, the councils are bound to make a mistake. We need to root them out and expose them. In the meantime we have to work on projecting the proper image to the civilians. While most see us as part of the Konoha shinobi forces, and therefore beneficial, more than a few are reluctant to letting go of their hate and predispositions. Long story short, we need to find ways to make our group more secretive but less threatening, or at the very least abate the fears before they spread out. We all know how a single rumour can royally mess up even the best laid plans."

Anko took a step back, allowing Kurenai to step forward. "Kiba, Haku and Hinata, you three will be responcible for the dirt we can come up on the council, and the group's enemies. Hinata's Byakugan, Haku's mirror and Kiba's stealth should be invaluable. At the same time, Hinata, you have to research and discover all the loopholes the council may choose to use in order to escape or discredit us. As a Hyuga, your clan must have a suitably large repository of laws and relevant scrolls. We need a copy of them if not the exact so we can study them and prepare ourselves. Kiba, you are to learn of your clan's loyalties. Are they loyal to the Hokage or Konoha. The ideals or the advantages of the village. Knowing your clan's ferocity and passion, they could be the best of allies or the worst enemies, so we need to learn of them soon. Good job by the way with spreading rumours, Ino's doing a fantastic job of keeping us semi-hidden. Haku, since you often spend time in the hospital and check on retired shinobi, do what you can about them as well. If possible have them write down whatever tips they have to offer on scrolls and get them here. The occasional technique or info would also be appreciated. If they want to, they could also be payed by Naruto for this service."

Kurenai stepped back, allowing Zabuza to walk forward this time. "Tenten and Lee, as you know we've lost a good number of shinobi in the invasion. Though the village is mostly repaired, there has been a cut on the high ranking missions we are taking. This in turn cuts down on our money, something that we have to correct. From now on, you two, Shino and I will be attached on several different teams and help them in dangerous missions that, almost certainly, will involve fighting. Keep your guard up, your blades sharpened and your wit at hand. We'll be focusing on teamwork for now before getting on the tougher missions. Now, remember that while some of these missions will pay very well, we will have to share most of that money with the rest of the group that isn't taking missions for now. Last but not least, we'll have to approach the teams we'll be attached to and see what they have to offer. Buckle up and get ready for hell on earth kids."

Zabuza, having said his piece, stepped back as well, letting Anko give the team the signal to disperse and wait for Shino's return.

Quite a bit of distance away, Shino was approaching the gennin Team 10. Chouji was munching his chips, Shikamaru was cloud gazing and Ino was reading a magazine. Shino sighed. It wasn't that long ago that they had tried to motivate the team, but they simply seemed uncapable of working more than absolutely necessary...

Waiting for Asuma to go away, as Kurenai had gotten him to agree to the test, Shino tensed his muscles, quietly drew his dual kama and leapt from the shadows he was hidden to attack the three unprepared gennin.

Shikamaru suddenly found himself staring at Shino's sunglasses, the reflection of the dual kama next to his neck clearly depicted on the shiny surface.

Ino and Chouji, upon seeing the situtation, turned towards their downed teammate, trying to help him. An action that was halted immidiately as they saw Shino's hands twitch and the blades approach too close to Shikamaru's neck for comfort.

Ino, predictably, blew up. "Hey Shino! What the hell are you doing to Shikamaru!"

Shino's head moved to the side just enough to look at her. "I am attacking him, obviously. Why you ask? Because it is my goal. Should you not desire your team mate decapitated, I strongly suggest you take me seriously."

The cold, dismissive voice made Ino reel back in shock. Chouji was just staring at his attacked friend, not having a clue as to how to , Shikamaru was able to maintain a calm head and quickly made a handseal.

**"Ninpou: Kagemane no Jutsu (Ninja Art: Shadow Bind Technique)."**

Shino felt his body move against his will and push away from Shikamaru. He didn't resist the movement, instead allowed Shikamaru to perform it, before unleashing his insects in a dome around him, using them to eat the chakra of the technique. Shikamaru quickly realized that the insects would follow his chakra back to its source, so he quickly cancelled the jutsu and rolled away.

Team 8 stood in a triangle formation with Chouji at the front and Ino with Shikamaru at his flanks. Nodding to his team, the chubby shinobi dashed forward under cover of a few kunai, compliments of Ino. Shikamaru instead hung back, ready to use his shadow techniques in an instant.

To the amazement, and later fear, of Team Asuma, Shino didn't retreat or try to evade the charging Chouji. Instead he charged at him as well, Kama open and to the side. Just before getting within range of Chouji's punch, Shino leapt, surprising him, landed on Chouji's back and used him as a springboard to launch himeself towards a surprised Shikamaru. Ino tried to defend her teammate with shuriken, but Shino's insect allies warned him of the attacks and he used his kama to defend himself on air. Landing in front of his target, he had to quickly dodge out of the way of Shikamaru's advancing shadow.

Shikamaru grinned victoruously, but it was quickly wiped out as Shino used his speed against the shadow's sticky nature to outmanouevre it before slashing at the shadow user with his kama, leaving a few bleeding wounds. Almost immidiately, he had to leap away as Chouji's barelling form came in an attempt to squash him with his **Ninpou: Baika no Jutsu (Ninja Art: Multisize Technique)**. Shino landed behind a surprised Ino that barely had the time to roll away from the worst of the attacks she would have suffered.

As she rolled away, she tried to throw some more shuriken, but Shino had anticipated something like that so he joined his kama at the bottom and spun the ,now staff-like, weapon in front of him and deflected the projectiles. Before the surprised team had time to attack Shino anew, he threw his weapon towards the still prone Ino. The kunoichi shrieked in fear before moving away. Shino noticed that Shikamaru's shadow had taken over for Ino, pulling her out of harm's way. The calm didn't last long though as the twirling weapon didn't suddenly changed direction, heading for Chouji, who was getting ready to charge again. The weapon struck him and dispelled his multisize technique, giving him a nasty gash on his chest at the same time.

Ino shrieked at the blood, while Shikamaru looked apalled. The cut wasn't deep or dangerous, but it sure looked nasty and put Chouji out of the fight due to potential blood loss. Shino's arm flexed and the weapon returned to its owner's hands. In an instant, the Mantis Blades had split up again and Shino was rushing towards the freaked out pair of gennin. Before Ino had time to react, Shino pounced on her and struck her with the grip of his right weapon on the head, dizzying her. The next instant, he had made a spin and struck her at the side of the head with his left weapon, causing her to black out for the rest of the fight.

Shikamaru took out a kunai to defend himself but, for all his intellect and strategic genius, he simply didn't have the resources available to defend against Shino. The Kama user dodged, parried and weaved through his attacks, even while, try as Shikamaru might, he evaded the shadow technique of the Nara heir. In the end, Shikamaru found a pair of blades at his neck while insects had already swarmed over his two team mates and were beggining to get him as well.

Shino sighed. It might have been a decent work out for him, but considering the purpose of the group, they had to get stronger, much stronger than that. Removing his blades from Shikamaru's neck, he took a few steps back and had his insect allies carry Chouji and Ino to Shikamaru.

As if on cue, Ino began waking up, since Shino didn't even hit her hard enough to put her out of combat for a longer time. As the kikaichu retreted back to their host, Team Asuma saw that a few large, red, ant-like insects had remained on Chouji's wound, using their larger pincers to hold the wound close. Even the bleeding had seemed to stop.

Shino looked at the team in front of him and sighed. "The insects on Akimichi-san will take care of that wound. Their saliva has enzymes that causes blood to clot along with several anti-bacterial properties. Their pincers will hold the wound so he does not aggravate it. Why, because this attack was a test, no reason to threaten a shinobi's life. On the other hand you have failed the purpose of this test. While you revealed admirable teamwork, your tactics are fixed and unflexible. While you are aware of each other's power that is merely due to the fact that you have not improved at all in all this time. Quite frankly I am disappointed. It is best that this be told before you continue further upon this path. Why? Because if you keep your growth stunted in this way, you shall, without fail, die before your time."

Shikamaru scowled at Shino's words before getting back up. "I don't care about all that Shino. I only care about one thing and that's my two team mates over here. So, take your troublesome opinions and shove them."

Of course that drew gasps of surprise from Ino and Chouji. Shino just smirked, turned on his heel and walked away. Shikamaru blinked, huffed something about 'troublesome people' and followed suit.

It didn't sit well with Ino though and she was quick to show her displeasure. "Oi Shika! Where are you going?"

Shikamaru looked back at her and Chouji and smiled sadly. "I'm going to a very troublesome place with very troublesome people. Take care you two."

Shikamaru and Shino vanished into the forest. A few minutes later, Shino guided Shikamaru at a small hill with several large rocks. He pulsed his chakra through a certain large boulder and it disappeared in a poof of smoke. Once the pair descended, Shikamaru saw his sensei to be, a large, muscular man with a huge Zanbatou. The sadistic smirk made Shikamaru reconsider his choice of actions. However, one last look at Shino convinced him of his choice.

Back in Tanzaku Gai, a week finally passed since the bet was made. Naruto had spent all that time trying to learn the Rasengan. He knew he could have finished it in a matter of days if he used the Kage Bunshin trick. However, he deeply respected both his father and Jiraiya's troubles. So, instead, he chose to master it the old-fashioned way; sheer amount of guts and dedication to a single thing until it's done.

It was the final day and Naruto had gone to sleep only because Jiraiya ordered him to in order not to burn out his chakra system. It wasn't fear of crippling Naruto, rather it was logic,as it woudl take time for Naruto as it would force him to stay in recovery for far too long.

Naruto got up early that morning like always. Quickly he donned his clothes and got ready for some last-minute practice. He spared a glance at the empty bed of the Toad Sennin and huffed. The pervert probably chased tail last night. Then again, he had said he had contacts in this village so he might have gone to them instead. Either way, it mattered little to the blonde gennin, so he got ready to leave. As he was heading for the door, he heard frantic knocking. Opening it quickly he came across Shizune, Tsunade's old time companion and friend, with the pet pig Tonton in her arms. The poor pig was squealing, in an obvious attempt to let Naruto know of something urgent. Of course, Naruto didn't know how to communicate with such beings, so he grabbed Shizune from the arm, pulled the panting girl inside and had her sit on a chair.

"So, what's the fire Shizune-san?" Asked the blonde.

The girl took some time to catch her breath and restore order to her racing mind before answering. "Its Tsunade-sama, she's gone!"

Naruto just raised an eyebrow at that. "Well, forgive my ignorance, but doesn't she just up and leave whenever she wants? At least that's what I heard she did. I don't know how things work though, so it must be serious. The question is, why did _you_ come _here_ of all places?"

Shizune gulped and looked very guilty of what she was going to reveal. "Tsunade-sama... she's going to Orochimaru. He made her an offer a week ago and it seems she couldn't resist it..."

Just then a window flew open and a certain toad summoner collapsed inside, huffing and puffing as if he had just ran a mile long race. "Shizune's right. She left for Orochimaru." Jiraiya grunted as he tried to get up. "She also seems to have spiked my sake last night. Even with all I've done, I'm still not even at 15%..."

Naruto rushed towards the downed Sannin and helped him to his bed. He turned to Shizune. "Alright, let's get our jobs straight. Shizune, you tell me where the meeting is going to take place and then try to heal Ero-Sennin as much as possible. If Hebi-teme's there, I won't be able to defeat him on my own. I can however hold him back long enough for you to be of use. Now, speak, we have little time to waste."

Naruto's commanding tone made Shizune spill everything, including the deal offered to Tsunade and the assistant that was with Orochimaru last time. Running towards the opened window, Naruto started mutating bfore Shizune's surprised eyes. With a burst of chakra and a powerful leap, Naruto jumped out of the window before wings spread from his back, engulfed protectively by his trenchcoat, before speeding off. Shizune gawked for just a second befor her medic training took over and she, almost mechanically, started treating Jiraiya.

The pervert for his part just chuckled at her. "Don't ya worry Shizune. The gaki's too tough to die. Now, better focus on getting this poison off of me so we can assisst them." Shizune nodded in responce and redoubled her efforts.

Naruto soared over the village. As he flew, he ordered his eyes to shift into long-range mode, a mode he called Washi-gan (eagle eye), back when he was so much more naive than he was now. The improved eyesight he had borrowed from the mighty bird of prey helped him see the world in a different way. Focusing his sight towards the direction Shizune said the meeting would take place, he used the wind currents to speed up and quickly made his way.

Tsunade stood before Orochimaru and his lackey, a medic nin of at least some capability. The sick Snake user was taking his time with his mind games, trying to make her feel inferior, while at the same time extoling her medic skills. As Tsunade placed her hands on the snake summoner's own destroyed ones, the sound of a heavy item dropping at high velocity interrupted them. Both legendary shinobi had just enough time to leap away as something slammed into the ground between them, creating shockwaves and a dust cloud. A menacing form stood inside the dust cloud as it was blown away.

"Gaki? What the hell are you doing here?" Asked a very surprised Tsunade.

Meanwhile Orochimaru licked his lips and couldn't decide between being pleased with seeing Naruto again and being annoyed at the interruption. Kabuto however, made that choice for him. "Well well Naruto-kun, I didn't expect you here so soon."

Naruto just grunted and turned to Tsunade. "What the hell were you thinking Tsunade? Did you seriously agree to the plans of a maniac that has already disrespected your ancestors? Did you really think a human, powerful maybe but still a _human_ would have the power to mess with life and death? Do you really want to associate yourself with a lowlife that enslaved the very souls of your grandfather and granduncle?"

Tsunade took a step back from the glare and force of the words. Orochimaru clicked his tongue in annoyance. "Naruto-kun, while you are strong, you are in way over your head. You cannot understand the forces at work here. You should retreat now and-"

Naruto growled at him in such a hostile way that Orochimaru had to consciously restrain his body's instincts to flee. "You shut up hebi-teme. Didn't I tell you when you tried to resurrect the Shodai and Nidaime? A body without a soul has no power to live, but a soul without a heart has no _right_ to live. You might have pulled their souls, but not their hearts, not when you enslaved them and used them as nothing but mere marrionettes to destroy the very home and people they once gave their lives to protect. Besides, last time I checked, you were the one that got mauled Hebi-teme. Kabuto here shouldn't make too much of a difference against me and you know it."

Meanwhile, as Tsunade heard Naruto's words, a rage unfelt in a long time began to shimmer within the legendary medic. Orochimaru quickly caught on that fact and sought to end the fight before it began in earnest. After all, against Tsunade's legendary fury, not even he was safe. "Enough, Kabuto, you take care of Naruto-kun while I deal with Tsunade. After all, there are other ways I can restore my arms."

Kabuto nodded to his master and hopped away to the side in order to have a clear shot to Naruto and Tsunade. Naruto just chuckled. "Well Tsunade, seems that trouble follows us of broken pasts. Too bad it's not the first time and we can deal with all this crap huh? You take care of hebi-teme over there and I'll deal with Kabuto. Oh and, nice meeting the real Tsuande-hime."

Naruto chuckled as he leapt away from Tsunade in order to stay away from the fight between her and Orochimaru. Kabuto just smirked arrogantly towards Naruto. "You know, you cannot defeat me Naruto-kun. With Orochimaru-sama's help, I have become as strong as the legendary Hatake Kakashi. An undertrained gennin like you, no matter how gifted, cannot defeat me. Your body however, will make a great test subject for my studies. After all, you have revealed several powerful abilities. Most interesting indeed." Without further ado, Kabuto pulled out one of his battle-oriented scalpels and charged Naruto. He expected the blonde to at least dodge, so he was quite surprised when he didn't even react to the attack. He quickly realized why as the scalpel came into contact with Naruto's skin and failed to pierce it in any significant amount.

Before Kabuto had time to recover from that surprise, Naruto's right hand rose up to meet Kabuto's face. Imagine the Oto-nin's surprise when he saw long claws come for his face. However, he was good enough to avoid the worst of that attack by leaning back and flipping away. Naruto squinted his eyes as he saw the wounds heal, much to Kabuto's glee. However, the medic-nin's smirk was wiped off quickly by Naruto's declaration.

"Now we're talking. Finally someone that doesn't die with a mere flesh wound. Kabuto-chan, do make sure not to die too fast. Been some time since I was able to _cut_ loose!"

Kabuto blinked at Naruto's apparent joy. He quickly had to back off though, in order to avoid the claws that came for his face. Naruto looked positively _giddy_ at the fight.

"Good reflexes too! Kami must love me to send me this gift!"

Kabuto tried to form some sort of witty responce but the randomness, bloodlust and sheer giddyness in Naruto made it impossible. At least in the time it took for Naruto to press him into defence. The medic nin quickly realized, amongst the laughter from Naruto, that he couldn't compete with the blonde powerhouse. So, he decided to take things seriously for once.

The white-haired medic threw his kunai at Naruto, who didn't even acknowledge them to be honest, and went through several handseals, as fast as possible. Before long, his hands were covered by a faint green aura, signifying his technique. Belief in his victory restored, Kabuto rushed towards Naruto. However, try as he might, Kabuto couldn't land a hit on his target. Spinal cord bending in unreal degrees, reflexes to the point of precognition and immense agility kept Kabuto's arms off for more than a bit of time. Eventually however, as Naruto backtracked a bit to avoid an attack to his eyes, Kabuto popped up behind him and touched his spinal cord twice before walking away with his back turned to Naruto. He expected many things, but not a laugh.

"Oi Kabuto-chan, where are you going? You didn't seriously thing that little lovetap took me down? I mean seriously, was it even _supposed_ to do something?"

Kabuto blinked and took a step back in surprise. "What? Impossible! I cut your spinal cord in half! My chakra scalpels should have left you incapable of any motor function waist down!"

Naruto just laughed some more. "Kabuto-chan, I'm going to scold you!" Naruto waved his finger at Kabuto as if indeed he was scolding a child. "My bloodline gives me the ability to adapt to _anything_. So, do you know who my team mates are? I have to spar with them once in a while. Your little cute scalpels are nothing in front of Hinata's Raijin's Touch. Especially after the little stunt your master pulled. I made sure to practice lots with Anko's youkai. Chakra based attacks as simple as this don't even register on my pain threshold. Now, how about I take you serious? Hm?"

Kabuto had barely the time to consider his enemy's words and then question himself 'He wasn't taking me seriously?' before being repeatedly punched and kicked in various places. A simple grapple later and he was thrown away in a boneless heap. Right into Orochimaru.

Tsunade for herself was having a field day. Orochimaru was frantically trying to dodge her punches as, even getting grazed by them would unleash the chakra blast contained inside, which could prove to be problematic for the Hebi Sannin. Of course, were he at full power it wouldn't have been nearly as dangerous. However without any technique that required handseals, which were _most_ of his repertoire, he could barely raise a noteable defence and counterattack. The fact that Tsunade's experience helped her fight him better was an added disadvantage.

The snake summoner was bending in unreal degrees in order to avoid being pulverized when he heard a cracking sound behind him. Before he had time to turn around or move away, Kabuto's body collided with him, sending him right into Tsunade's fist. A split second later, the tangled mass of the two nin were flying the other way.

Seeing that, Naruto made a seal-less Kage Bunshin and had it kick the incoming projectile in the air. Meanwhile, the real Naruto tensed his legs, readied to leap and winked at Tsunade. Seeing the wink, the slug summoner, readied her chakra and got ready to jump as well.

The clone kicked Orochimaru and Kabuto up in the air like an oversized ball. As soon as they were launched that way, Naruto and Tsunade leapt as well, appearing above their target. Orochimaru had barely the time to realize what the shadows that fell on him were before trying to reinforce himself for the incoming hit.

He wasn't dissapointed as he, and subsequently Kabuto, received two devastating heel drops, sending them careening into the ground and making a small crater.

Naruto landed next to Tsunade. "Now that's definitely gonna leave a mark eh Tsunade-hime?"

The legendary medic chuckled a bit. "Yeah I guess it will. You know, I think I like you kid, you're fun to be around."

Grunting, Orochimaru got up, followed by a relatively unharmed Kabuto. Relatively of course, as he had to expend an impressive amount of chakra to both shield himself from the hits and repair the damage he had suffered. "Damn you Tsunade. I will not be stopped here, not when I've come so close to fulfilling my ambitions. Not when I have almost become a god!"

Naruto sighed as he shook his head. "You're wrong Orochimaru. Take this from a fellow immortal; ambitions are made so we do not reach them. What do you think you will be doing even if you were to become immortal yourself and learn all techniques. What then? How will you spend the enless ages until the world dies? Ambitions, the driving force behind everyone's actions... they were never made to be achieved."

Tsunade blinked at Naruto while Orochimaru bristled with fury. How dare that damned brat, reminder of his failings, talk to him like that. How dare that insolent child patronize him? And yet, for all his fury, for all his misdirected, though still great, intelligence, for all his conviction and dedication to his goal, Orochimaru couldn't deny a very simple thing; Naruto was right. In his fervor to learn every technique and become immortal, Orochimaru had lost sight of his own path, turned his goal into his obsession, the only thing to matter in his mind.

Of course, the snake summoner couldn't accept it. He couldn't, no, he _wouldn't_, admit the fact that he had been wrong. He would never acknowledge it! To have been wrong, is impossible!

_'Then why does it hurt so much? Why does it sting so much? Why isn't it forgotten?'_

That annoying presence, always in the back of his head, rearing its existence seeking, trying, desperately to separate itself from Orochimaru. The last shreds of Orochimaru's humanity some would call it, others would say it's the remnants of the child he once was, others would just call him insane. None would be wrong, yet none would be right. The schizm, the divide, the distinction became paifull, but troubled the legendary shinobi's mind for but a second before he drowned the upstart voice in wave after wave of zealous hate and anger.

On the outside, Orochimaru just narrowed his eyes and glared at the blonde shapeshifter. He had to finish the fight soon before the Toad Sannin got there as well. While sure he could defeat Tsunade and Naruto, the Gama Sennin would be too much for him to handle, especially without his ninjutsu. Kabuto may be strong, but he was obviously no match for the blonde troublemaker. Gritting his teeth, he got ready to finish the fight. Kabuto quickly saw the signal sent to him by his master. With a fluid motion, he retrieved a combat scalpel from his belt pouch and cut his palm. The red life-giving essense flowed out from the wound and dripped to the ground.

Naruto was confused as to why Kabuto would choose to do something as... pointless as that, and was even more surprised when he noticed Tsunade's reaction. The legendary kunoichi and medic had frozen completely at the sight of blood. _'Haemophobia?'_ he wondered. He got his answer rather quickly as Kabuto flicked his palm towards Tsunade, sending some red droplets towards the Slug Summoner's face, causing her to retreat even further into her own mind.

Orochimaru retrieved his legendary sword, Kusanagi, from his stomach and, holding it in his mouth, attacked the stunned Tsunade. Naruto rushed in front of her, ready to take the blow, but just before the blade pierced him, a large object collided with the incoming nin, knocking him of course. That object was quickly revealed to be Jiraiya. Growling, Orochimaru attacked his former team mate in a frenzy, seeking to kill him as soon as possible. It was a hard thing to do however, seeing as he only had his kenjutsu and part of his taijutsu to fall back on. He was very lucky that Jiraiya could barely use his chakra, as the white-haired shinobi could have very easily destroyed him if he was at full power.

Meanwhile, Kabuto, being fed up with Tsunade, while also knowing the danger she could represent if she were to snap out of shock, reactivated his chakra scalpels and charged her. In his single minded attack, he failed to notice one thing; a hand reaching for his own.

Naruto quickly realized that Tsunade was completely defenceless, thusly making her protection a prime objective. He could only hope his perverted godfather would last long enough for him to kill the lackey and aid provide support. Knowing full well that Tsunade wouldn't survive a chakra scalpel like he could, Naruto lashed out with his hand and grabbed Kabuto's arm with his own left hand.

"That's enough Kabuto-teme. You're pissing me off. Now BUZZ OFF!" And with an insanely powerful punch, Naruto launched the enemy medic on a huge rock, causing it to explode from the force.

Behind the blonde powerhouse, Shizune rushed to her mistress, looking for any wounds she would have to treat. Seeing the blood however and realizing that's what caused the legendary kunoichi to freeze, she started wiping it off her face while whispering kind words to calm her down.

Naruto's voice came to them and caused them both to look at him. "Open your eyes Tsunade and look good. This is the power of a future Hokage."

As the two women looked at Naruto, they noticed that Kabuto was walking out of the dust cloud that had been caused by his collision with the rock. He seemed to pant a bit, but even that went away as he took a pill. Kabuto's self-centered smirk was quickly wiped off when he saw Naruto charge him at full speed. Meanwhile, Tsunade and Shizune blinked at the speed with which Naruto moved and almost missed a glowing ball of blue energy resting in his hand.

Naruto collided with Kabuto before planting the orb he held in his hand firmly into Kabuto's stomach. **"RASENGAN! (Spiral Sphere!)"**

Tsunade blinked, her mind having a single thought; he did it, the kid actually _did it_. Her happiness was quickly wiped out as she saw Naruto cough once and fall to his knees, clutching his chest. Eyes widening, she startled her caretaker as she rushed towards the blonde.

Naruto was in pain. That prick Kabuto did something to him, in that last second he injected him with something. He could feel it, like poison coursing through him, but it was no ordinary poison. Whatever that thing was, it was hurting him. A shadow fell upon him and he felt a pair of soft hands grab him from the shoulders and force him to lie on the ground. Tsunade's frantic face came into Naruto's vision as she looked for a way to identify what was wrong with the gennin that had defended her.

Imagine her surprise as she saw the ease with which Naruto was dealing with the poison he had been injected with. Her scans showed it to be a mixture of viral strains, destructive bacteria and neurotoxins that should turn the target's muscles to mush. Worse even, the mixture should be affecting the target's chakra system so, no matter how little time it went untreated, the target would suffer for a long time. For Naruto to be able to adapt to even that monstrocity of a poison, it spoke volumes of his power and resilience. Tsunade was further stunned as she saw how Naruto's body worked, a miracle for healers, above and beyond what a human's limits would be.

Naruto got up, harder than he expected as both Tsunade and Shizune were trying to hold him down. However they were forced to let him go as, Orochimaru, angered by Jiraiya as he was, had summoned the snake boss, Manda. Tsunade and Jiraiya also flew by several handseals before they too called for backup, in the form of the toad boss, Gamabunta, and the slug boss, Katsuyu. Naruto quickly grabbed Shizune, who 'eeped' at the contact, before leaping away to make sure she'd be away from the battlefield.

As the three Sannin faced each other, they failed to notice a single boy rush around behind Manda until it was too late. Absorbed by the fight, Manda didn't realize he had made a mistake, until he tried to go underground to avoid becoming roasted. However, it's hard to do something like that when someone holds your tail. Before the surprised snake boss had time to disagree with his predicament, Naruto and a few of his clones pulled him from underground and started swinging him around over their heads.

Gamabunta raised his non-existent eyebrow as he watched his worst enemy whirl round and round. Katsuyu's feelings were better expressed through her summoner, as Tsunade seemed to have broken down in laughter due to the surprised face Manda had made.

Deeming the speed high enough, Naruto and his clones made a grunt as they simoultaneously let go of the tail, sending Manda and his unlucky passengers to roll around the ground painfully. Deciding to cut his losses, Orochimaru dispelled his summon, grabbed his semi-conscious servant and fled by melding with the earth.

A few moments of regrouping later, Tsunade, Shizune, Jiraiya, Naruto and Tonton were walking back to Tanzaku Gai, discussing their fight and what they had gleamed about Orochimaru from it. A little way before the city, Tsunade suddenly stopped and looked at Naruto.

"Well brat, I have to admit it, you surprised me there and made a perfect Rasengan. So I guess you win the bet. Close your eyes."

Naruto closed his eyes and felt the pendant fall into place. A second later he felt a pair of lips touch his forehead as Tsunade whispered to him. "Become a great Hokage Naruto."

It was a tender moment, but one that was unfortunately ruined as Jiraiya had apparently found some inspiration and was writing furiously on his notepad. Too bad he'd never get to finish that as Naruto and Tsunade moved as one, the boy sending a knee to Jiraiya's family jewels as Tsunade gave him one of her legendary punches, launching him into the air.

Shizune and Tonton sweatdropped, thinking 'there's two of them!'. Tsunade on the other hand, smirked, placed an arm on Naruto shoulder and spoke cheerfully. "You know gaki, I think this is the beginning of a very productive relationship."

Ignoring Jiraiya's howl of pain as he disappeared into the horizon, Naruto looked at Tsunade and smiled back at her. "You know, for being a baa-chan, you're not that bad yourself!"

It took but a second for Tsunade to realize Naruto had called her an old lady before she retracted her arm and tried to slug him. Of course, Naruto knew that staying there would be hazardous to his health so he ran off laughing.

Shizune had to smile, it had been a long time since Tsunade had been that happy and relaxed. So, she whistled a happy tune as she walked towards the hotel room, Tsunade's cries of 'Get back her you brat!' and 'I'll show you calling me old!' echoing in the distance. Yes, it was a very good thing coming to that village. A very good thing indeed.

**A/N: Sorry for the delay, but unfortunately, life tends to take presedence... As always read and review. It keeps me going. Also, I'll be closing my poll now.**

**On another note, happy birthday to me and happy reading to you :D**

**Some people may wonder how I managed to fit sealing things within a sealed space. I will use Sandaime's armor as an explanation as to exactly why it's immensely difficult to do. The storage seals consist of a master seal and a set of slave seals. The entirety of the armor, including the weaponry, each and every bit of it, are stored inside the same space. However, by using the master seal, which is placed on the amulet Sandaime wears, will only unseal the bodysuit and the armor on top of it via delay seals. At the same time, it will enable the slave seals to be activated. Now, think of the storage space. Instead of being a warehouse-like place, it's made of hubs and chambers. Each slave seal is linked to the hub (the armor) and each leads to a chamber. By activating a slave seal, you only unseal an item from the chamber it's dedicated to. So, in the end, it's not a matter creating a storage space within a storage space, but of hierarchy and proper linking. Due to the complexity of the seals and theories behind this (let's face it, not everyone can keep every little detail of every little seal in his mind), only seal masters could hope to do it. It's also the reason an item with such storage seals needs to be prepared specifically for this purpose.**

**Some may wonder if Tsunade, Jiraiya and Orochimaru are insane. They are correct. They fought one of the hardest, bloodiest, wars in the Ninja World, which meant that, due to the numbers we have on how many Yondie killed, means that each of them must have killed more than a few hundred enemy soldiers. The mental and emotional backlash from such a hideous, yet necessary, act, must have far-reaching concequences. Add personal tragedies like seeing the student you consider a son die, or your own fiance bleed away in your arms and suddenly, sanity became more and more overrated. Yes, Tsunade, Jiraiya and Orochimaru all have a lot of mental and emotional luggage. Neither is without their self-doubts. So, when someone as capable at influencing people as Naruto shows up, he brings these doubts out to the surface. So yes, Tsunade does doubt herself and her skills as a medic. After all, she wasn't able to save her fiance and little brother. Jiraiya doubts his skills as a teacher, since his first students are dead (he doesn't know how they ended up), his next student sold his soul to the Shinigami and his current student is a fucking mutant with a demon in his gut. Orochimaru? He's smart, he knows philosophy and he sure as hell knows how messed up his views are. However, by refusing to accept the fact that he made a mistake, his own mind shudders and trembles when presented with the truth. After all, the truth that Naruto showed him is an impossibility, yet a reality, causing his entire belief system to shake and deteriorate.  
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**Today, on this 9/6/2012, I, Soulblazer87, do hereby leave this site, possibly forever.**

**I shall not update this, or any other story.**

**I shall leave them on, however. Should you desire to follow my stories, do so in my new site of residence: www dot yourfanfiction dot com.**


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